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WHAT IS GLYCEMIC INDEX?
‘Glycemic Index (GI) measures the speed at which
the foods get digested and converted to blood glucose. The index sets
glucose at 100 and scores all foods against that number’.
Scientific
definition
The glycemic index is defined as area under the
glucose response curve after consumption of 50g available carbohydrate
from a test food divided by the area under the curve after consumption
of 50g of carbohydrate from a reference food. The reference foods can
be either glucose or white bread (Wolver et al.,1991)
Classification of GI foods
Be right to choose right (√)
carbohydrates in your products
Why
do we need GI testing of food?
Scientific literature clearly shows that.
- GI
describes the quality of carbohydrates and its impact on blood glucose.
- In
India bulk of calories (60-70%) consumed come from carbohydrate
containing foods.
- Not
many Indian single foods and mixed meals have been tested for GI
in a scientific manner using an internationally approved
scientific protocol.
How
is it tested at our centre?
- The
GI reflects the type and / or quality of carbohydrates in
particular foods and how a specific portion of this food raises
blood glucose levels.
- The
GI testing protocol used at MDRF was adopted from FAO/WHO (1998)
and validated by investigators at Oxford Brookes University,
UK.
- Foods
are tested either in healthy volunteers or in diabetic subjects
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The GI concept may be of
particular benefit in India due to the high prevalence of
diabetes and
cardiovascular diseases.
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What
products ‘r’ tested for GI?
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“Glycemic index can be
tested only for foods that contain Carbohydrates
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- Cereals,
Millets, pulses
- Fruits,
vegetables, nuts, Milk and Milk products
- Beverages
like soft drinks, milk drinks, fruit juices
- Bakery
products, sweets, confectioneries
- Instant
food mixes and ready to eat meals / foods
Contact
details
For further information about GI testing at the department of Foods,
Nutrition and Dietetics research, MDRF
For further
information contact
Sudha V
Research
Clinical Nutritionist
Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics Research
Phone: 91-44-43968888, Extn: 8466
Fax : 91-44-28350935
Email: s2r_7@mdrf.in
Email: drmohans@diabetes.ind.in
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