What is the difference between glycemic index and glycemic load? What does each tell about a carbohydrate? Johanna Burani, MS, RD, CDE explains these differences and the calculations involved. [Also available with narration at http://www.EatGoodCarbs.com]

1. Johanna Burani, MS, RD, CDE
www.EatGoodCarbs.com

2. It is a scale from 0-100 that ranks digested carbohydrates
by how much they raise blood glucose levels compared to a
reference food (glucose).
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3.  High GI carbohydrates or “gushers”
 quickly digested
 produce rapid release (“gush”) of after-meal glucose
 GI values: 70+
 Low GI carbohydrates or “tricklers”
 slowly digested
 produce slow gradual release (“trickle”) of after-meal
glucose
 GI values: 0 - 55
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4. A measurement of how high a blood glucose level will rise
after eating a specific amount of a specific carbohydrate.
It combines the quality of the carbohydrate and the
quantity of the carbohydrate portion into one number.
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5. GL = carbohydrate (grams/serving) x GI
100
Example #1: GL of a small apple
13 grams x 38 ÷ 100 = 5 grams
Example #2: GL of a large apple
26 grams x 38 ÷ 100 = 10 grams
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6. GL tells us how much insulin the body needs to release
into the blood stream to deal with the increased blood
glucose level resulting from the digestion of a specific
amount of a specific carbohydrate.
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7.  Individual food portion
Low 0-10
Moderate 11-19
High 20+
 Whole day
Low < 80
Moderate 80 - 120
High > 120
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8.  Glycemic Index: ranks carbohydrates based on their
immediate blood glucose response.
GI = carbohydrate quality
 Glycemic Load: helps predict a blood glucose
response to a specific amount of a specific
carbohydrate.
GL = carbohydrate quality + carbohydrate quantity
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9.  www.EatGoodCarbs.com
 www.GlycemicIndex.com
 www.FIFTY50.com
www.EatGoodCarbs.com