The Glycaemic Index Q&As

Q:

Are high GI foods bad for you and low GI foods good for you?

A:

The GI of a food is only an indication of how that food, eaten in isolation, will affect blood glucose levels.  It makes no account of other foods eaten at the same time, before or after and, perhaps more importantly, it does not result in the selection of a healthy balanced diet. For example, if you were to construct a diet around the GI then a diet of sausages, peanuts and chocolate milk would be deemed healthy, whereas broad beans, carrots and wholemeal bread would be blacklisted.  Low GI foods can reduce the feelings of hunger and may help you to resist the urge to overeat. Foods with a high GI are more quickly digested and provide fast release energy which can be particularly useful after exercise when you need a quick boost. Always aim to eat a well balanced diet based on a variety of foods. This should help maintain healthy blood sugar levels anyway.

Feedback

Your feedback is important to us. Why not take a moment to let us know how helpful you found our answer by clicking on one of the numbers below, where 5 is the most helpful.