Glycemic index and load are the two systems that diabetic people used to formulate diet plans. Using the index alone is not the most effective way of measuring the carbohydrate amount in the food. It is inaccurate because the test was not conducted based on a certain portion size. Therefore, food with a low index rating is likely to have higher carbohydrate while food with high glycemic mix actually has lower amount of carbohydrate. To solve this problem, the glycemic load is introduced. Glycemic load is a system that ranks foods based on the index ratings that is tested on a certain serving size. For example, a glycemic load system will let you know how fast a100 gram bread can increase the sugar level of the blood.
The glycemic load was invented because scientists believe that consumption of foods that rich in carbohydrates are as effective as foods that have a low amount of carbohydrates. For example, eating 60 grams of breads will increase the glucose level in the blood significantly. However, 30 grams of breads will only increase the glucose level by half of that.
The glycemic index and load are popular among diabetic and obese people that want to reduce the intake of sugar in their bodies. Index and load values are often used in weight loss programs that aim to reduce the health risk. With the help of the glycemic index and load, you will be able to reduce the sugar level in the blood and prevent diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and etc. The glycemic load has a scale of 10 - 20. Foods with low carbohydrates have a scale of 10 while foods with a high amount of carbohydrates have a scale of 20 and above.
If you want to calculate the glycemic load, you have to find out the glycemic index of the food. The index value of the food should be divided by one hundred. After you have divided it by one hundred, you must determine multiply it with the number of carbohydrate in the food. For instance, if a food contains 15 grams of carbohydrate and the glycemic index is 40, the glycemic load is 6.
Most people assume that choosing food with low amount of carbohydrate is good. However, it is not wise to choose food based on the amount of carbohydrate it has. With the glycemic index and load system, you will be able to find out the amount of carbohydrate based on the serving size so you know how much to eat. The index and load can be found at a few glycemic information websites. If you want a more detailed GI and load, you should buy a good glycemic index guide.
Jonathan is main contributor and co-creator of the new Glycemic Index info based web-site: http://the-glycemic-index-guide.com . Get lots more info there on the Glycemic Index and Load and also check out our free 10-part mini-eCourse, “Glycemic Index Secrets”, it might be all you’ll ever need (and did I mention it was free!!)