Is Glycemic Index Useful?
Foods high on the index turn to glucose fast. But that speed can cause a spike in levels of the hormone insulin, which the body needs to process glucose into physical energy. Foods low on the index — sweet potatoes, brown rice, leafy greens, fat-free milk — break down slowly and result in lower insulin levels. “Unless you’re a diabetic, glycemic index may not be all that important,” says Alhadeff, who adds that since most of us eat a variety of foods in a meal, the accuracy of the index can be questionable. But what about the notion that glucose from high-index foods is more likely to be stored as fat? “The scientific literature is very clear that eating carbohydrates that are embedded in plant cellulose — complex carbohydrates — is always better,” says Nagi Kumar, PhD, director of clinical nutrition at the Moffitt Cancer Center and professor of human nutrition at the University of South Florida in Tampa. “But the reasons it is better are not because it somehow lessens or alters fa
