Low-glycemic index diet: What's behind the claims?
Purpose
Why you might follow a low-GI diet
The glycemic index
Carbohydrates
Understanding GI numbers
Limits of GI values
Other issues
Diet details
Results
The bottom line
Other issues
A GI value tells you nothing about other nutritional information. For example, cantaloupe has a medium to high GI score and a medium GL score. But it is a good source of vitamin C, beta carotene and other important nutrients. Whole milk has a low GI value and a low GL value. But it's high in fats and calories. So it may not a good choice for losing or controlling weight.
The published GI database is not a complete list of foods. Instead, it's a list of foods that have been studied. Many nutritious foods with low GI values may not be in the database. The list also includes highly processed foods which may be less nutritious than unprocessed foods. And some foods with low GI values may not be good sources of nutrients.
The GI value of any food item depends on many factors. It matters how the food is prepared and how it is processed. Also, there can be a range in GI values for the same foods. So the values may not be reliable for all food choices.