Glycyemic index

[AlaskaAngel]

Hi

Can someone recommend a comprehensive list that provides the glycemic load for individual foods? As a general rule I've been using the amount of nondigestible fiber in a food to help decide what the glycemic load is likely to be, but in doing that I sometimes am a bit off the mark because the actual sugar/starch content of each food is the real target I'm supposed to be looking at.

For example, offhand I would have probably thought some of the foods that are higher as listed below, would have been in the lower glycemic load list I found:

Glycemic Load and Diet: Glycemic Loads in Favorite Foods

It's tough to figure out on your own if a food has a high or a low glycemic load, but as a general guideline, the more fiber (http://her2support.org/diet-nutrition/101/nutrition-basics/filling-up-on-fiber.aspx) a food has the better. Here is a glycemic load reference list with many common foods to let you know which are low, medium, and high.


Foods with a low glycemic load of 10 or less:

Kidney, garbanzo, pinto, soy, and black beans
Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, like carrots, green peas, apples, grapefruit, and watermelon
Cereals made with 100 percent bran
Lentils
Cashews and peanuts
Whole-grain breads like barley, pumpernickel, and whole wheat
Whole-wheat tortillas
Tomato juice
Milk
Foods with a medium glycemic load of 11 to 19:

Whole-wheat pasta and some breads
Oatmeal
Rice cakes
Barley and bulgur
Fruit juices without extra sugar
Brown rice
Sweet potato
Graham crackers
Foods with a high glycemic load of 20 or more:

High-sugar beverages
Candy
Sweetened fruit juices
Couscous
White rice
White pasta
French fries and baked potatoes
Low-fiber cereals (high in added sugar)
Macaroni and cheese
Pizza
Raisins and dates
(from http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/101/nutrition-basics/the-glycemic-load.aspx )

[StephN]

Hi A.A. -
Thanks for posting this. I imagine on some sites for diabetics, you might find more foods listed.

My hubby is type 1 and I thought I had a pretty good grasp of the basics.

These 3 items on the "high" list caught my attention.
Couscous
White rice
White pasta

I knew about the rice and pasta, but had not realized about the couscous. We eat it fairly often in various forms, and I never give too much, but will take more care when his blood test is not in normal range.

[AlaskaAngel]

Hi Steph,

I stumbled on this link. I'm not entirely sure how to use it, and trying to "think" in grams is harder than measuring ounces. But does give the glycemic load for a food, as well as inflammation factor. I used raisins for my example:

The site is

nutritiondata.com

using raisins, after narrowing down, I got:

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/2050/2