Contents:
- Medical Video: Treating Low Blood Sugar | Hypoglycemia | Nucleus Health
- Get to know the food glycemic index
- How can the glycemic index of food rise?
- 1. Fruit that has been peeled and left long enough
- 2. How to process cuisine
- 3. Water soluble fiber content
- 4. Other nutrients in food
Medical Video: Treating Low Blood Sugar | Hypoglycemia | Nucleus Health
Ever heard of the term glycemic index (IG) in food? Simply put, the glycemic index is a measure of how quickly food is converted into sugar in your blood.
Therefore, it is not enough to avoid sweet foods if you want to control blood sugar levels, especially for people with diabetes. The thing to do is to choose foods with a low glycemic index value.
Then how do you ensure that your food has a low GI so that your blood sugar levels don't jump suddenly? This is a complete explanation that needs to be observed so that you do not choose the food or the way it is processed.
Get to know the food glycemic index
The glycemic index or IG is a level of speed from food to be processed into blood sugar by the body. The greater the value, the faster your blood sugar rises due to the food.
So, it does not mean that foods with a high glycemic index mean sugar levels must be high. It could be that the sugar content of the food is classified as safe, but when consumed, the sugar is absorbed very quickly by the body at once and results in a surge in sugar levels.
Foods with high GI should be avoided by people with diabetes. Meanwhile, for foods with a moderate glycemic index, you may still consume them, but occasionally and must be within reasonable limits. If the IG value is low, the food can be consumed.
How can the glycemic index of food rise?
Basically, each food has its own IG value. For example from carbohydrate content. However, several other factors can change the IG again your food becomes higher. What are the factors? See below.
1. Fruit that has been peeled and left long enough
The peeled fruit has a higher GI value than the fruit that is still intact with the skin. An example is a banana. Before peeling, bananas are foods that have a low glycemic index. However, after being peeled and left for a long time, the GI value of this fruit will increase to reach 51 (including foods with moderate GI values).
This is because bananas have undergone an oxidation process which causes the fruit to have brown spots. This process then causes the IG value to increase. Therefore, do not allow the peeled fruit to be left too long and not eaten.
2. How to process cuisine
Cooked foods usually contain a higher glycemic index. Especially if the cooking process is done to make the food ingredients very crumbly and soft. So, the body is easier to absorb carbohydrates in the food because it has been processed through cooking.
For example, fruit that has been processed into a glass of juice, will have a higher level of glycemic index than the original fruit. Another example, cooked potatoes, have a higher IG value. Therefore, if you cook potatoes, let them cool first and then consume them because when they are still hot after cooking, the IG indigo is still high.
3. Water soluble fiber content
Most foods that have GI values are foods that contain carbohydrates. Therefore, the type of carbohydrate in the food affects the IG value. The more water soluble fiber in it, the lower the IG value that the food has.
Conversely, if your food is full of simple carbohydrates, such as glucose or sucrose, then the food has a high GI value.
4. Other nutrients in food
Not only the type of carbohydrate that affects the GI value of a food. Fat and protein levels can also affect the glycemic index value. Foods that contain protein and fat that are consumed together will reduce the level of the glycemic index in your diet.
Adding acidic ingredients to foods, such as squeezing oranges or vinegar, can reduce the level of the glycemic index. This can be a good trick for those of you who want to avoid high-GI foods.
