Glycemic-index diet: A helpful tool for people with diabetes?

Some people with diabetes use the glycemic index (GI) as a guide in selecting foods — especially carbohydrates — for meal planning. The glycemic index ranks carbohydrate-containing foods based on their effect on blood sugar level. Foods with a high glycemic-index value tend to raise your blood sugar faster and higher than do foods with a lower value. However, low-index foods aren't necessarily healthier than high-index foods.

Although the glycemic-index diet has some potential benefits — such as reducing blood sugar levels — it is very complicated. Many factors affect the glycemic-index value of a specific food, including how the food is prepared and what is eaten with it. Also, the GI value for some foods isn't known. For these reasons, the American Diabetes Association has concluded that there isn't enough evidence to recommend the general use of a low-glycemic-index diet for people with diabetes.

If you're interested in learning more about this meal-planning tool, talk to a registered dietitian. He or she can help you make changes in your diet.