The blood sugar balancing act

Q: I've been hearing a lot about the glycemic index lately. Can you tell me exactly what it is?

Dr. Wright: The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of the rate at which a carbohydrate breaks down and releases glucose into the bloodstream. The higher the GI of a food, the greater its effect on insulin secretion.

Processed foods tend towards a higher GI than foods in their natural, unprocessed state. For example, fruit juices have a higher GI than their whole fruit counterparts. Flour has a higher GI than the whole grains it's made from.

When you eat protein and fats along with carbs, you can slow down the carbs' rate of entry into the bloodstream, thus lowering their glycemic effect. This is one reason why eating a "balanced" meal is important.

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