What is the difference between the glycemic index and glycemic load?

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What is the difference between the glycemic index and glycemic load?

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WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GLYCEMIC INDEX (GI) AND GLYCEMIC LOAD (GL)? | Diabetes Management

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The Glycemic Index (GI) has been used for many years as guide to the rate at which carbohydrate content is absorbed into the blood stream for energy, and the effect it has on raising blood sugar levels. The Glycemic Index (GI) is a measure of the degree to which a carbohydrate is likely to raise your blood sugar (glucose) levels. The scale is 0 to 100 (based on either white bread or glucose), with 0 being low and 100 being high. The GI compares equal quantities of carbohydrates and provides a measure of carbohydrate quality but not quantity. So the drawback with GI ratings is that they are not based on commonly-consumed portion sizes of foods.

For example, only about 7% of a carrot is made up of are useable carbohydrates. But because a 50g carbohydrate content is employed as the standard measure for a GI rating of individual foods to show how fast blood sugar level are raised, a larger than normal food portion is used for the GI calculation. In the case of carrots, for example, the amount is equivalent to 1.5lbs - far more, of course, than people normally eat as a snack or part of a meal.

As a result, the GI rating often overstates relatively small carbohydrate content in a food item like a carrot.

The reverse is also true, i.e. the glycemic effects of foods containing a high percentage of carbs like bread, can often be understated under the GI system.

Therefore we recommend using the Glycemic Load index with calculations based upon realistic food portions. GL ranks food according to the effects of actual carbohydrate content in a standard serving size of food.

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