glycemic index
Meaning of glycemic index: Glycemic index ranks how quickly a carbohydrate food raises blood glucose compared with a standard reference amount of glucose.
Definition of glycemic index
Glycemic index is a ranking system that measures how quickly a specific carbohydrate containing food raises blood glucose levels after it is eaten, compared with the rise produced by eating a standard reference amount of pure glucose.
Foods with a high glycemic index are digested and absorbed quickly, causing blood glucose to rise rapidly, while foods with a low glycemic index are broken down more slowly, producing a gradual rise in blood glucose over a longer period.
Glycemic index is used mainly as a tool for managing blood glucose levels, particularly in diabetes, since choosing more foods with a lower glycemic index can help produce steadier blood glucose levels throughout the day, though the actual glucose response to a food also depends on portion size and what other foods are eaten alongside it.
Used in a sentence
The patient was counseled on choosing lower glycemic index foods as part of blood glucose management.
Good to know
Glycemic index reflects only the type of carbohydrate eaten, not the total amount consumed, so a food's ranking alone does not predict its overall effect on blood glucose without accounting for portion size.
Word origin
Where “glycemic index” comes from
Formed from Greek glykys, meaning sweet, the root underlying glucose and glycemia, referring to the level of sugar in the blood.