The Glycemic Index: Why it Matters

Carbohydrates contain sugars. When they are in their simple form, they are a sugar such as fructose or sucrose, but when they are complex carbohydrates they are multiple sugars bonded together on a molecular level. When we consume these carbs, the body breaks them down into their basic sugar form to use as the body sees fit. The affects of this breaking down and releasing of sugars into the blood stream is measured with the glycemic index. The glycemic index plays an important role in determining how fast ones metabolism is, as well as how well one’s body can handle large amounts of carbohydrates being introduced to the blood stream.

People who are overweight tend to also develop diabetic conditions as a direct result of their weight. This has to do with the glycemic index directly. When we eat a meal, the food that we eat is broken down into its most rudimentary forms and is sent to various parts of the body. Some of these elements are converted into energy reserves and are stored for a later use. But no matter how you choose to look at it, the number one thing we dump into our blood stream when we eat is sugars.

As one begins to gain weight, the amount of sugar in their blood also increases. As a result, the body becomes less susceptible to the sugars and their uses. It is much like taking too much aspirin over a period of time and developing immunity to it. You eventually have to take more and more to get the same results. Now just imagine the same concept with the sugar in your blood; the sugar which your body needs to survive. It is through the glycemic index that you are able to monitor these affects on your body and prevent a potentially disastrous incident.