Glycemic Index

Question
Hi. Do you beleive a non-diabetic person should follow a GI diet? This link reckons the body has no problems with High GI foods.

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-617573.html

Kind Regards,

Michael

Answer
A diet of low glycemic foods will not hurt anyone. Even people who are  hypoglycemic (have low blood sugar, kind of the opposite of diabetes, which is hyperglycemic) can eat regularly throughout the day to keep their blood sugar up. The debate about the glycemic index is how applicable it really is to blood sugar. To determine glycemic index 50g worth of carbohydrates of the test food are given to test participants then their blood glucose levels are checked. While you may have 50g of carbohydrate worth of sugar (a low glycemic index food) in one sitting (the equivalent of one regular soda), you are unlikely to eat 50g carbohydrates worth of carrots (a high glycemic food), which would be around 75 baby carrots.  This can make someone focused on only the GI value of foods make unhealthy decisions. Also, foods are usually eaten with other foods. The fat, fiber, and protein content of the other foods will slow absorption and help prevent spikes in blood sugar (the goal of the glycemic diet.)  

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