Ive heard a lot about the glycemic index (GI). Should I be avoiding high glycemic foods, such as potatoes?
The GI is a system that assigns a number to individual foods, such as bread, pasta and potatoes, based on the food’s ability to increase blood glucose. High-protein, low-carbohydrate proponents use the GI as a tool for weight loss. They feel that by eating low GI foods, one can control hunger and body weight more effectively. However, there have been no well-controlled, long-term human studies to examine the effects of the GI on body weight regulation. In addition, there is no evidence that eating high GI foods will lead to obesity. More research is needed before health professionals will recommend using the GI as a tool to help plan meals and snacks. In fact, the American Diabetes Association does not support the concept that people with diabetes would benefit from following the GI eating pattern. In addition, some of the foods that score high on the GI, such as potatoes, also score high on the satiety index (SI). Researchers at the University of Sydney developed the SI as a system fo
