Carbohydrates, also known as carbohydrates, are one of the "three" nutrients needed by the human body and are the main providers of energy for the human body.
There are 3 types of sugar substances that the body can absorb, namely monosaccharides, disaccharides and digestible polysaccharides (starch).
After entering the human body, these substances will eventually be converted to glucose (monosaccharide), which is called blood sugar after entering the blood, providing energy to the tissue cells of the human body.
In general, human blood sugar is lowest on an empty stomach, highest within 1 hour after a meal, and begins to fall back 2 hours after a meal, and can generally return to normal levels within 3 hours.
However, depending on the food, the rate at which blood sugar rises after eating will be different. Even if it is the same person, the rate at which blood sugar rises after a meal will vary depending on the food eaten.
What is the Glycemic Index?
The glycemic index is the full name of the "glycemic index", which is denoted by "gi"; it reflects the speed and ability of a certain food to raise blood sugar compared with glucose; it is an indicator of the degree of increase in blood sugar caused by eating.
Foods that are high in gi are digested and absorbed quickly after entering the intestine, glucose can quickly enter the bloodstream, and blood sugar rises rapidly. Foods with low GI are slowly released due to the long stay time after entering the intestine, the peak of glucose entering the blood is low, the blood glucose fluctuations after meals are small, and the insulin required is correspondingly reduced.
For people with high blood sugar after meals, blood sugar can be effectively controlled by reasonable food matching, that is, to meet the body's energy needs.
Which foods have a higher glycemic index?
In general, monosaccharides have a higher glycemic index than disaccharides; for example, glucose, which usually sets the glycemic index of glucose at 100. In addition, there are fructose, galactose, etc., all of which belong to simple sugars.
Disaccharides have a higher glycemic index than digestible polysaccharides; that is, our common sweets such as white sugar, brown sugar, rock sugar, maltose and so on.
Polysaccharides are what we often call starch, or starch-rich foods. For example, various cereals, potatoes, etc., of course, some melons, fruits and vegetables, as well as meat foods will also contain some sugar substances.
What factors affect the glycemic index?
1, dietary fiber: in general, the content of dietary fiber is large, which can slow down the digestion and absorption rate of sugar substances and reduce the gi of food; on the contrary, the less dietary fiber content, the higher the gi.
For example, whole grains (without removing the chaff) will have a lower glycemic index than polished rice.
2, the physical state of starch: for example, eating corn paste will rise faster than eating corn kernels.
3, the degree of gelatinization of starch: the higher the degree of gelatinization, the higher the gi; for example, the same apple, drink apple juice than eat apple, blood sugar will rise faster.
4. Fat and protein content: increase can reduce the gastric emptying rate and digestion and absorption of the small intestine, and the gi is low.
Food glycemic index table:
Low glycemic foods: glycemic index ≤55 is a low glycemic index food, they stay in the gastrointestinal tract for a long time, the absorption rate is low, the rate of conversion to glucose is slow, blood sugar rises slowly, and the human body has enough time to mobilize the release and synthesis of insulin, so that blood sugar does not soar.
Five grains: whole grain (whole grain) noodles, soba noodles, vermicelli, black rice, black rice porridge, corn rice, macaroni, lotus powder, kudzu powder
Vegetables: Konjac, Chinese cabbage, cucumber, bitter melon, celery, eggplant, kelp, enoki mushroom, shiitake mushroom, spinach, bean sprouts, asparagus, cauliflower, onions, lettuce.
Beans and soy products: soybeans, eyebrow beans, chicken heart beans, tofu, beans, mung beans, lentils, four seasons beans.
Fresh fruits: apples, pears, oranges, peaches, grapefruit, shatin grapefruit, sydney pears, grapefruit, strawberries, cherries, papaya.
Beverages: milk, low-fat milk, skim milk, low-fat cheese, yogurt, sugar-free soy milk.
Medium-glycemic foods: 55≤ glycemic index ≤70
Five grains: red rice, brown rice, sago, wheat flour noodles, cereal, oatmeal
Vegetables: sweet potatoes, taro, potato chips, lotus root
Meat: fish, chicken, duck, pork, lamb, beef, crab.
Raw fruits: papaya, dried grapes, pineapples, bananas, mangoes, cantaloupes, kiwifruit, willow dice.
High glycemic foods: glycemic index >70 is a high glycemic index food, they digest quickly after entering the gastrointestinal tract, the absorption rate is high, the speed of conversion into glucose is fast, and the blood sugar rises rapidly;
Grains: rice, steamed buns, fritters, sticky rice, white bread, ramen, fried rice.
Meat: meatballs, ham sausages.
Vegetables: Minced potatoes, pumpkins, baked potatoes.
Fresh fruits: watermelon, lychee, longan, pineapple.
Sugars and sugar alcohols: glucose, granulated sugar, maltose, soda, orange juice, honey.
In theory, food does not have the function of lowering blood sugar, and for diabetics, it is necessary to follow the doctor's instructions and use drugs rationally.
However, for people with high blood sugar, in addition to staple foods (grains), try to eat less high-glycemic foods; eat more low-glycemic foods and reasonably eat some medium-glycemic foods, which is very beneficial for sugar control.
Do not drink alcoholic beverages, try to avoid overeating, eat enough to sleep and other bad eating habits; maintain good sleep habits, pay attention to the combination of work and leisure, to avoid the body in a long-term state of fatigue; but also to adhere to exercise or engage in appropriate physical labor, is more conducive to the stability of blood sugar, as well as the health of the human body.