Glycemic Load Research- Fruit , Carrots Are Safe & Healthy

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INFORMATION FROM WEBSITE BELOW

[the UK spells glycemic with an " a " included]

The glycaemic load (GL) of a specific food portion is an expression

of how much impact ( " oomph " ), or power the food will have in

affecting blood glucose levels. It is calculated by taking the

percentage of the food's carbohydrate content per portion and

multiplying it by its Glycaemic Index value

GL= CHO content per portion x GI 100

It is thus a measure that incorporates both the quantity and quality

of the dietary carbohydrates consumed. Some fruits and vegetables,

for example, have higher GI values and might be perceived as " bad " .

Considering the quantity of carbohydrate per portion, however, the GL

is low. This means that their effect on blood glucose levels would be

minimal. Let us consider a few examples:

* The GI of watermelon is high (GI = 72), but its glycaemic load is

relatively low (GL = 7), because the quantity of carbohydrate in a

serving of watermelon (150 g or a 5 mm thick slice) is minimal, as it

contains a lot of water. This does not hold true for watermelon

juice, however, as the quantity of carbohydrate in a cup of

watermelon juice (250 ml) is much higher and fruit juice is therefore

a more concentrated source of carbohydrate.

* The GI of apples is 38 and the GL of one medium apple is 5. This

means that eating one apple will have hardly any effect on blood

glucose levels. If you eat an entire 500 g packet of dried apples,

however, its GL would be 50, which means that it will have a huge

effect on your blood glucose levels, despite its being low GI. This

brings us back to the old principle that there is no license to

overindulge in " good " or " bad " foods. But should you indulge in

watermelon, it will have an even greater effect on blood glucose

levels, due to its high GI value!

And lastly, a high GI food with a low GL will not necessarily affect

blood glucose levels significantly. A good example here is the high

GI vegetables (carrots, pumpkin, etc). They contain only a little

carbohydrate and therefore, in normal portion sizes, will not impact

on blood glucose levels even though they have a high GI, as there is

not enough " power " behind the high GI. The proviso is, though, that

they are not eaten with other high GI or GL foods.

For full article-

http://www.gifoundation.com/glycemic_load_concept.htm