What is GBV? This interests many. This indicator helps in comparison to assess the effect of the same amount of carbohydrates of different types. The higher the GN indicator, the more significant the load on the body. There are ways to reduce this indicator. And how to apply them, and how sport affects glycemic load, we will consider in the article.
The basics
Every person who leads a healthy lifestyle is familiar with this definition. Moreover, he is aware of the existence of a product table, which is divided into categories with a low, medium and high glycemic index. Unfortunately, the knowledge of most of us ends here. And this is fundamentally wrong, since such a topic needs to be understood in a complex, otherwise nutrition will not improve the quality of our lives, even with regular training in the gym.
The food we consume consists of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. They are necessary to maintain our body in a healthy state. In a variety of foods, the nutrient content varies greatly. Man needs balance. Therefore, before you make a diet yourself, you need to get at least minimal knowledge in the field of nutrition. You probably paid attention to the fact that people lose weight from some products, and from others they can dramatically gain a couple of extra kilograms in a while.
All our physical activity is interconnected with energy. Nature is designed so that our body draws it from carbohydrates. When they enter the body a little, during physical exertion, the body in the form of fuel begins to use fat reserves, and in extreme cases, muscle mass.
As you know, there are simple and complex carbohydrates. They affect the body in different ways:
- Slowly digestible (cereals, legumes, chickpeas).
- Fast (sugar, pastries).
- Non-digestible (vegetables, fruits and bran).
To absorb all carbohydrates, our body includes a hormone called insulin. He, in turn, distributes all consumed carbohydrates to each cell of our body.
Accordingly, the more carbohydrates you consume, the more insulin is produced by your pancreas. An excess of this hormone has a negative effect on the body, as it contributes to the deposition of fat. This is due to the fact that the transportation of nutrients is carried out throughout the body, and even to cells where they are not required.
Absolutely any products, in which carbohydrates predominate, are used as energy fuel only after their separation to the glucose component.
It's important to know! Carbohydrates, regardless of whether they are complex or simple, have the same rate of conversion to glucose. Therefore, we will not be able to influence the rate of assimilation. It makes no difference to our body, if we eat porridge or honey, the increase in blood sugar will come in the same period. On average, it is about half an hour.
The concept of glycemic index
GI is an indicator that determines the number of units of a product that affects blood sugar. Accordingly, the simpler the structure of the carbohydrate product, the higher its glycemic index, and the blood sugar level will rise faster.
A person who monitors his health and nutrition is recommended to give preference to products with a low and medium glycemic index. This choice will protect the body from sudden surges in blood sugar. It is important to understand that the sugar level when consuming fast and slow carbohydrates will be the same. But in the first case, it will be accompanied by jumps, and in the second, it will proceed gradually.
The glycemic index of products varies from one to one hundred (where one is the lowest, and 100 is the highest GI):
- Low. GI less than 55. Virtually no fluctuations in sugar and insulin in the blood. Products of this type are considered the most preferred in proper nutrition.
- Average. 55 to 69.
- Tall. From 70 to 100. It provokes a sharp jump in blood sugar. A sharp increase in the hormone insulin, which leads to the deposition of fat in the body.
Therefore, it should be understood that when consuming a product with a high level of GI, you will expect a sharp increase in blood sugar and insulin. After that, you get a decrease in blood sugar, which leads to the deposition of fat and the appearance of hunger. If you continue to eat foods with a high glycemic index, you may encounter addiction to sweets. Then there is a vicious circle.
Definition
What are GN products? And why do you need to know these values? Often we can observe how people, guided by a table of products with GI values, are trying to lose weight. Unfortunately, this approach is erroneous. It is important to understand that the carbohydrate component is different in food.
Consider an example. GI zucchini is 75, and sugar - 70. Whereas the proportion of carbohydrates in sugar is one hundred percent, and in zucchini five percent. Accordingly, a person guided by such a table may come to the conclusion that from zucchini you can gain excess weight faster than from sugar. Such disagreements do not apply to all products. This is just an example to see possible inconsistencies.
Therefore, it is important to familiarize yourself with the GI product first, and then see the amount of digestible carbohydrates. Each time, calculating this value is extremely inconvenient. Therefore, there is a table of products with GN.
Levels
What is GB is now clear. We proceed to the classification. Glycemic load per day is a very important indicator, the determination of which is necessary for the implementation of measures to maintain health, and in some cases - for weight loss.
There is the concept of daily glycemic load. To determine this indicator, it is necessary to calculate for each product separately. It should be borne in mind that it is not worth folding the GN load. It is necessary to use only grams of digestible carbohydrates multiplied by their GI in the calculation. The resulting value is divided by 100.
The glycemic load per day is classified according to the following data:
- Low load ranges up to 80.
- Average GN is between 81 and 119.
- High - over 120.
It is worth noting that there are also differences between the indicators. Unfortunately, this situation arose due to the lack of full-fledged research in this area.
The relationship between GI, GN, and insulin
Insulin is the main hormone involved in metabolic processes. It is secreted by the pancreas at the moment when there is an increase in sugar in the blood. It acts as the main regulator of metabolism and glucose, which is necessary for the proper metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates.
Insulin lowers blood sugar. Principle of operation:
- Eating carbohydrate foods increases the level of the hormone insulin, which in turn lowers blood sugar.
- The more insulin is released, that is, an excess of this hormone occurs, the more likely the fat will be deposited in the body.
- Through the liver, glycogen is converted to glucose. And the more such processes occur, the more significant the load on a vital organ.
In order not to have health problems, you need to monitor your diet and lead a healthy lifestyle.
Example of calculating GB per day
It is important to understand that you need to know your body and its norms. It is not enough to rely on intuition. As soon as you start making calculations, you will soon feel your norm.
If you fall into the category of those people who feel bad about their body and cannot make up personal GB, a simple calculation will help you.
Consider an example. Let's say you ate 120 grams of polished white rice. The glycemic index of the product is 60, and GN - 45. Then they tried buckwheat (GN - 28, and GI - 50) and a slice of rye bread weighing 40 grams (GI 50 and GI - 20). And for dessert, sugar (GI 70, glycemic load is also 70). The weight of the products is calculated from the dry component. If you calculate the boiled porridge, then you will need many additional recalculations.
Digestible carbohydrates contains:
- In rice cereal, ninety grams. Based on 75/100 grams.
- Buckwheat fifty grams. Based on 55/100 grams.
- In a slice of rye bread, sixteen grams. Based on 40/100 grams.
- 25 grams of sugar contains 25 grams. Based on 100/100 grams.
We calculate the glycemic load for each product separately:
- Rice: 90 x 60/100 = 54.
- Buckwheat: 50 x 50/100 = 25.
- A slice of rye bread: 16 x 50/100 = 8.
- Sugar: 25 x 70/100 = 18.
We summarize the indicators and get the number 105.
Important! If you are guided by a table with GN foods, pay attention to the method of preparation of this dish. Usually there are indicators of already cooked food.
Caution! High GN foods
Regular consumption of foods with a high glycemic load threatens diabetes. Therefore, it is so important to build on your glycemic load per day. Exceeding the optimal indicator increases the risk of other serious diseases.
Elevated levels of insulin in the blood can provoke a decrease in "positive" cholesterol, as well as contribute to the growth of cancer cells. An increase in triglycerides is also a bad sign for a health condition.
Studies in Korea claim that daily use of white polished rice is nineteen percent more likely to cause breast cancer in women. Similar studies have been conducted in America for high starch foods. As a result, they confirmed the relationship between the use of such products and relapses of oncological processes.
Diabetes is a dangerous disease. An ailment is able to provoke additional disturbances in the work of the whole organism. This was confirmed by studies conducted among two categories of people. Some live with diabetes, others have bypassed this disease. There is a theory that the occurrence of cancerous tumors does not provoke diabetes in itself, but insulin therapy, which is necessary for sick people.
Lowering level
What is GN and GI in products, we examined. And can there be fluctuations in indicators? There are many factors that can affect these indicators. The main one is the fiber content in foods. The more it is in food, the slower the absorption. And, accordingly, the glycemic index is of less importance.
In addition to fiber, the following factors affect the level of these indicators:
- Heat treatment. Raw vegetables and fruits are high in fiber. When you stew or steam food, they lose most of their nutrients. Accordingly, they are equated with digestible ones, and their GI becomes higher.
- Very ripe fruit. For example, a banana is soft and sweet corresponds to a GI index higher than a fruit that has a peel with a greenish tint and is still quite hard.
- Fats added to food directly affect the increase in blood sugar. You need to choose sunflower and olive oil.
- Lemon juice and vinegar reduce the glycemic index of dishes. This is why it is useful to add a few drops of lemon juice to your cooked food.
- Salt and sugar used in cooking increase the GI of the dish.
Can I lose weight with a GI-based diet?
Why is glycemic load important for dieters? The norm per day for weight loss varies in the value of the indicator below 80. It should be understood that the tables, the numbers in which are calculated on the basis of GI and GN, are designed for people with diabetes, or for those who for some reason should control the level of sugar in blood.
Therefore, before using medical indicators as another fashionable diet, think about it. Of course, the list of products can be adopted by those who closely monitor their nutrition and health. But remember, if you have normal blood sugar, then you do not need these restrictions. After all, the menu should be varied. And maintaining or reducing body weight can be achieved by physical activity or a small decrease in daily caloric intake.
If, nevertheless, you are inclined to this system, then try to study the maximum information on this topic, read the reviews and download the GI and GN table for 100 foods.
It is very important to separate the glycemic index from the glycemic load. Since products with high GI do not always have high GN. For example, berries have a high glycemic index, and glycemic load is low.
GN and sport
Initially, it may seem that an active lifestyle does not affect the glycemic load of products. However, it is not.
There is the concept of closing a carbohydrate window. A number of products with high GI and low GN are used for it. The main products of this category:
- Whey Protein.
- Water-based gainer.
- Fruit juices.
- Sweet fruits, berries. Most often, preference is given to bananas.
Its useful to note! Our stomach spends huge resources on products with a high glycemic index (on the digestion process). Accordingly, it is better to use the opposite approach. We take carbohydrates with high GN and dilute with water. Thus, less product is needed to close the carbohydrate window. Accordingly, the digestion process will be accelerated, and glycogen replenishment will begin no later than seven minutes later. In a standard situation, it occurs no earlier than twenty to thirty minutes.
But! Foods with a low level of GN reduce at times the possible deposition of adipose tissue.
Carbohydrate-Free Diet and GN
Very often, glycemic load is used on extreme diets of the “drying” type. The basis of such nutrition is a strict restriction of carbohydrates. There is still a variant of protein-carbohydrate alternation.
A carbohydrate-free regime involves the depletion of glycogen's own reserves, transferring the body to the process of burning fat. But with this approach, the lack of sugar in the blood has a negative effect on mood, performance and well-being.
Of course, more gentle diets do not bring the same amazing result. After all, our body has the ability to quickly adapt to the calorie deficiency of the daily diet, which leads to the effect of the "plateau" or slow down weight loss.
You can fool the body using products with very low glycemic index and load. Accordingly, the body will use a lack of carbohydrates without restoring glycogen stores. Fiber-rich foods are a better choice. All the energy will be spent, and fat reserves will be used, waiting for the next portion of carbohydrates.
Using foods with high GI and low GN in the diet, you provoke the occurrence of an insulin reaction. Then the blood sugar returns to normal, and glycogen is transported to energy. Of course, you must follow the diet. There should be an excess of protein in the diet, and you will have to eat at least five times a day.
GN for pesticides in food
Hygienic standards are developed by the government in order to secure the consumption of human food. When growing, storing and manufacturing products, it is important to consider GN for pesticides in food. If this is not done, the manufacturer will be punished by law.