By Dr. Joey Shulman D.C., RHN

The glycemic index is a tool that measures the speed of entry of glucose (sugar) from a carbohydrate into the bloodstream. The faster the speed of entry, the more insulin the body will secrete in response. Excess insulin secretion can result in various ill health effects such as fatigue, weight gain and eventually type 2 diabetes.

For ranking purposes, the glycemic index is divided into three categories: low, medium and high. Food is categorized from a scale of 0 to 100 depending on its effect on blood sugar levels. On the glycemic scale, the highest measurement is for glucose which has the ranking of 100. For the most part, foods that are lowest on the glycemic index have the slowest rate of entry into the bloodstream, and therefore have the lowest insulin response. The categories are:

• Low (up to 55)
• Medium (56 to 70)
• High (over 70)

Fiber, protein and fat all act as brakes to slow the entry of glucose from a particular food into the bloodstream. Most vegetables, beans and whole grains are full of fiber, which is reflected by a lower glycemic index rating. Examples are:

• Boiled black eyed peas 42
• Green peas 48
• All bran 38

It is important to keep in mind that the glycemic index is a tool and not necessarily reflective of healthy foods for all categories. For example, M & M’s have a low glycemic index rating due to their high fat content.

Processed foods (e.g. white flour), certain fruits, candies, cakes etc. tend to have a higher glycemic index rating. Examples are:

• Strawberry cupcake 73
• White bagel 72
• White bread 73