Th glycemic impact of foods can be misleading. Corn chip carbs enter the bloodtsream more quickly than those in a chocolate bar.
Blood Sugar and Glycemic Index
One key to long-term health is eating a low glycemic index (GI) diet. The GI ranks carbohydrate-containing foods according to how quickly they raise blood glucose levels: the higher the GI ranking, the greater the impact.
Studies have found:
| A food's actual GI ranking may be surprising. The impact a food will have on blood sugar depends on many other factors, including fiber and fat content. Mashed potatoes are higher than ice cream. Corn chips are higher than a chocolate bar. A reliable resource is recommended for accurate GI information. One is http://www.glycemicindex.com/
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- There is considerably higher risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataract among people who consume higher GI diets.
- Lowering the consumption of high GI carbs can slow the progression of AMD.
Understanding the blood sugar-raising effect of foods is critical for people with diabetes because poor blood sugar control has been strongly related to development of proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Studies have found:
- Good blood sugar control can prevent or slow diabetic retinopathy.
- Long term blood-sugar control may be more likely to reverse damage in the retina's small blood vessels for people with type 1 diabetes.
- Restoring glycemic control can be effective in reversing cataracts caused by acute, high blood sugar.
