Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load, Linus Pauling Institute's Micronutrient Information Center

ProSalud A. C.

Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load, Linus Pauling Institute's Micronutrient Information Center:

"GLYCEMIC INDEX AND GLYCEMIC LOAD"
Glycemic Index
In the past, carbohydrates were classified as simple or complex based on the number of simple sugars in the molecule. Carbohydrates composed of one or two simple sugars like fructose or sucrose (table sugar) were labeled simple, while starchy foods were labeled complex because starch is composed of long chains of the simple sugar, glucose. Advice to eat less simple and more complex carbohydrates was based on the assumption that consuming starchy foods would lead to smaller increases in blood glucose than sugary foods (1). This assumption turned out to be too simplistic since the blood glucose (glycemic) response to �complex� carbohydrates has been found to vary considerably. A more accurate indicator of the relative glycemic response to dietary carbohydrates is the glycemic index. "