Originally designed for people with diabetes, the glycaemic index (GI) helps manage blood sugar levels. It is a useful tool both for those with diabetes. As well as for those of us who simply want help with planning meals and making healthier food choices.

The GI of a food is influenced by a number of factors including:UFABET 

The type of sugar it contains – e.g. fructose found in fruit has a low glycaemic index. Whereas maltose found in bread has a high glycaemic index.

Structure of the starch the food contains. There are two main starches, amylose and amylopectin. Foods with a greater proportion of amylose, like lentils, have a lower GI than those. With more amylopectin, like potatoes, which have a high glycaemic index

Whether the food has processed and the methods used. For example milling disrupts the starch molecules making them easier to digest and increasing the food’s GI score

How you prepare the food and whether the food is eaten raw or cooked. If a food is cooked the sugars are digested and absorbed more quickly. So the food in its cooked form will have a higher glycaemic index.

In the case of fresh produce like fruit. The riper the fruit the higher its glycaemic index.

Foods can be categorised as high, medium or low as follows:

• High glycaemic index – food with a GI of 70 or more
• Medium glycaemic index – foods with a GI of 56-69
• Low glycaemic index – foods with a GI of 55 or lower