ASSIGNMENT - 1

Course code: FOT213

Course Title: FOOD CHEMISTRY

Title : Glycemic-index Definition, Low GI foods and health Benefits

Submitted by:-
Name: Sayyad Althaf
Reg no: 12012039
Section: H2021

Submitted to:-
Dr. Uzma Altaf
Department of food Technology and Nutrition, School of Agriculture
Lovely Professional University.

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Table of Content:
1. Introduction
2. Factors
3. GI and GL
4. Glycemic index of foods
✓ Fruits
✓ Vegetables
✓ Grains
✓ Legumes
✓ Dairy products and dairy alternatives
✓ Sweeteners
5. Low GI Foods
6. Health Benefits
7. Summary
8. References

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 1. Introduction

Definition:
The Glycemic Index (GI) is a value used to measure how much specific foods
increase blood sugar levels.
• The glycemic index is a tool that’s often used to promote better blood
sugar management.

• Several factors influence the glycemic index of a food, including its

nutrient composition, cooking method, ripeness, and the amount of
processing it has undergone.

• The glycemic index can not only help increase your awareness of what
you’re putting on your plate but also enhance weight loss, decrease your
blood sugar levels, and reduce your cholesterol.

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 • Foods are classified as low, medium, or high glycemic foods and ranked
on a scale of 0–100.
• The lower the GI of a specific food, the less it may affect your blood
sugar levels.

Here are the three GI ratings:

• Low: 55 or less
• Medium: 56–69
• High: 70 or above

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2. Factors:

• Food’s high in refined carbs and sugar are digested more quickly and
often have a high GI, while foods high in protein, fat, or fibre typically
have a low GI.
• Foods that contain no carbs are not assigned a GI and include meat, fish,
poultry, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, and oils.
• Other factors that affect the GI of a food include the ripeness, cooking
method, type of sugar it contains, and amount of processing it has
undergone

3. GI and GL:

• Keep in mind that the glycemic index is different from the glycemic load
(GL).

• Unlike the GI, which doesn’t consider the amount of food eaten, the GL
factors in the number of carbs in a serving of a food to determine how it
may affect blood sugar levels.
• For this reason, it’s important to take both the glycemic index and
glycemic load into consideration when selecting foods to help support
healthy blood sugar levels.

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 4. Glycemic index of foods

Determining the GI of foods that you often eat can be useful if you’re
following a low glycemic diet.

Here are the GI values for a few ingredients:

Fruits

• Apples: 36
• Strawberries: 41
• Dates: 42
• Oranges: 43
• Banana: 51
• Mango: 51
• Blueberries: 53
• Pineapple: 59
• Watermelon: 76

Vegetables

• Carrots (boiled): 39
• Plantains (boiled): 66
• Sweet potatoes (boiled): 63
• Pumpkin (boiled): 74
• Potatoes (boiled): 78

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Grains

• Barley: 28
• Quinoa: 53
• Rolled oats: 55
• Couscous: 65
• Popcorn: 65
• Brown rice: 68
• White rice: 73
• Whole wheat bread: 74
• White bread: 75

Legumes

• Soybeans: 16
• Kidney beans: 24
• Chickpeas: 28
• Lentils: 32

Dairy products and dairy alternatives

• Soymilk: 34
• Skim milk: 37
• Whole milk: 39
• Ice cream: 51
• Rice milk: 86

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Sweeteners

• Fructose: 15
• Coconut sugar: 54
• Maple syrup: 54
• Honey: 61
• Table sugar: 65

5. Low GI Foods

A healthy, low glycemic diet should comprise mostly low GI foods, such as:

• Fruits: apples, berries, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit

• Non-starchy vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, spinach,
tomatoes
• Whole grains: quinoa, couscous, barley, buckwheat, farro, oats
• Legumes: lentils, black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans

Foods without a GI value or with a very low GI can also be enjoyed as part of a
balanced low glycemic diet. They include:

• Meat: beef, bison, lamb, pork

• Seafood: tuna, salmon, shrimp, mackerel, anchovies, sardines
• Poultry: chicken, turkey, duck, goose
• Oils: olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, vegetable oil
• Nuts: almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, pistachios
• Seeds: chia seeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds
• Herbs and spices: turmeric, black pepper, cumin, dill, basil, rosemary,
cinnamon

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 6. Health Benefits

Following a low glycemic diet may offer several health benefits, including:

• Improved blood sugar regulation. Many studies have found that

following a low GI diet may reduce blood sugar levels and improve
blood sugar management in people with type 2 diabetes.
• Increased weight loss. Some research shows that following a low
GI diet may increase short-term weight loss. More studies are
needed to determine how it affects long-term weight management.
• Reduced cholesterol levels. Following a low GI diet may help lower
levels of both total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, both of which are risk
factors for heart disease.

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7. Summary

• The glycemic index is used to measure how much a specific food

increases your blood sugar levels. The higher the GI, the greater the effect
on blood sugar levels.
• Following a low glycemic diet involves swapping out foods that have a
high GI with low GI alternatives. A low glycemic diet may help manage
blood sugar levels, reduce your cholesterol, and boost short-term weight
loss.

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8. References

✓ https://www.researchgate.net/figure/mportance-of-potential-
benefits-of-GI-which-are-designated-by-
stakeholders_fig2_286919969
✓ https://360degreenutricare.zest.md/blog/glycemic-index-diet
✓ https://www.slideshare.net/Glycemicindexlab/low-glycemic-index-
food-chart-for-good-health
✓ https://possible.in/glycemic-index-vs-glycemic-load.html
✓ https://www.netmeds.com/health-library/post/5-fruits-low-on-
glycemic-index-that-are-good-for-diabetics-infographics

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