Understanding the Glycaemic Index of Foods, Helps Type 2 Diabetes
High blood sugar or glucose levels in the bloodstream is known as Diabetes. There are several types of diabetes – a few ‘independent’, and others ‘dependent’ on ‘insulin’.
Type 2 diabetes is non-insulin dependent diabetes. Diabetes 2 is usually known as NIDDM in medical circles which translates as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
Diabetes patients know very well that their blood sugar level is easily affected by the carbohydrates eaten in their diet. In order to measure how high the blood glucose will respond and go up after consuming one of the many carbohydrate containing food choices, an index was introduced and is now known as the Glycaemic Index (or the GI).
The greater the value of the Glycaemic index of a food (i.e. the higher the number the food is given on the Glycaemic Index Scale) then this reflects the greater speed it will break down during digestion, and consequently release greater amounts of glucose into the bloodstream more rapidly. Therefore, for foods with high GI values, theblood glucose reading will increase higher (and more quickly) and this is not good for people with Type two Diabetes! Subsequently, the greater the value on the Glycaemic Index Scale, the quicker the blood glucose levels go up. Not good.
The value of a food type on the Glycaemic Index Scale is greatly affected by the type of food, its processing, ripeness, period over which it is stored, the way it is cooked and few other factors. When the food (containing the carbohydrate) is ingested, it finally releases glucose during the digestion process, which is absorbed, which then produces a spike in the blood sugar level. Large spikes are very harmful to a person with Diabetes 2!
These spikes increase the imbalance between body‘s ability to ‘detoxify’ reactive oxygen and its ‘production’. This disturbance can produce ‘free radicals and peroxides’ that can be toxic and damage cell components. The human body is certainly pushed to extremes when large amounts of foods with a high Glycaemic Index value (like 70 – 100 or even more on the scale) are consumed, and large amounts of glucose are rapidly absorbed producing large spikes in blood glucose levels.
It is very important that Diabetes 2 patients know the Glycaemic Index valuesafter eating it) is not the same for all foods! Patients with Diabetes 2 must understand what they can and can’t eat, based on this Glycaemic Index. of the food that they have. This is because the amount of glucose obtained from the carbohydrate portion in their food (and the glucose spike which goes along with it -
The intake of low Glycaemic Index foods produces 1) only very small spikes in blood glucose and 2) introduces at very slow rate, the absorbed glucose into the bloodstream, which 3) helps maintain ‘balanced’ energy levels and will 4) keep you active for longer, simply by supplying you energy for longer in the form of slow release energy (or ‘slow release glucose’ into the bloodstream).
Low GI foods can help people with Type two Diabetes in losing body weight, increasing body’s sensitivity to insulin, reducing heart and artery risk and also in helping to control cholesterol levels.
It is a scientifically accepted fact that major suggestions of low GI foods for anybody with Diabetes 2 includes consumption of all types of fruits and vegetables, plenty of salad, noodles, pasta oats, barley and bran. Those people with 2 Diabetes should also reduce or run away from having high GI Index foods like potatoes, cakes and chips!