Glycemic index (GI) is a measure that tells how fast the body converts carbs into sugars. Those who have type-2 diabetes can consider the GI of foods before deciding what to eat. The article lists out foods to avoid with type 2 diabetes based on the glycemic index.

Glycemic index
To decide the foods to avoid with type 2 diabetes one can use the glycemic index as a parameter. Foods that are high in carbohydrates, when consumed, break down into sugar when digested. The glycemic index (GI) tells us how fast the carbs are converted into sugar. The higher the GI, the higher would be the blood glucose level.

Glucose has a GI of 100. Eating foods with a low GI is good as they do not break down into sugar quickly and thus do not cause spikes in blood sugar levels.

Deciding food based on GI
The glycemic index of food has been calculated and is available for all foods that have carbs in them. It is, of course, not available for meats since they do not have carbs. GI is on a scale of 1 to 100.

• Foods that have a GI of 55 or less than that are considered low-GI foods. They are mostly good to consume for those having type 2 diabetes.
• A GI of 56 to 69 is considered medium GI. Foods with medium GI can be consumed but in moderation to prevent a spike in blood sugar levels.
• When the GI is 70 or higher, such food is high GI. Such foods are bad for diabetics and can cause sudden spurts in blood glucose levels. They must be avoided or eaten moderately. Those with high blood sugar must not eat these foods.

The GI can thus be used to decide which foods to avoid.

Low GI foods
Foods with low GI are parboiled rice, barley, quinoa, pasta, higher-fiber bran, most fruits, oatmeal, nuts, legumes, milk, yogurt, pasta, corn, sweet potato, carrots, and vegetables without starch.

Medium GI foods
These include brown rice, pita bread, raisins, quick oats, sweet corn, bananas, raw pineapple, and multigrain bread.

High GI foods
Foods with high GI include white bread, white rice, all processed foods, all types of snacks, honey, watermelon, pumpkin, popcorn, cornflakes, and rice porridge.

Things to consider
Apart from the index itself, there are other things to consider while consuming food. They include:

• The quantity of food consumed also matters. Low GI food consumed in excess can be bad.
• High GI and low GI food can be combined to balance the glycemic load.
• When food is cooked, it can change the GI. Fiber, lemon juice, and fat can lower the GI.
• Ripened fruit has more GI as compared to fruits that are not ripe.
• Controlling the total carbs consumed per day is more important than just eating low GI food.

While deciding foods to avoid with type 2 diabetes, the glycemic index of the food can be kept in mind. Foods with low to moderate GI should be preferred, while high GI foods can be avoided to keep diabetes under control.