Glycemic Index: What It Is and Why It Matters

Edaku — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 09:00:00 +0300

The glycemic index comes up constantly in nutrition articles, but it’s not always explained clearly. The idea behind it is actually fairly simple: it’s about how quickly the carbohydrates in a particular food raise blood sugar (glucose), compared against a reference food like pure glucose or white bread.

What the glycemic index actually measures

The glycemic index (GI) is a number from 0 to 100 that reflects how quickly and how much blood glucose rises after eating a set amount of carbohydrate from a given food. High-GI foods (generally above 70) — white bread, some types of potato, sugary cereal — cause a fast, fairly sharp rise in blood sugar. Medium-GI foods (56-69) and low-GI foods (55 and below) — most legumes, many vegetables, and whole grains — lead to a slower, more gradual rise in glucose.

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Glycemic Index: What It Is and Why It Matters

What the glycemic index actually measures