Glycemic Index Glycemic index is a measure of how fast and how high blood glucose rises after a certain food has been eaten and how long it takes the body to bring blood glucose levels back to normal. For example, complex carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, and legumes appear to have a lower glycemic index and lesser effect on blood glucose than some other complex carbohydrates such as bread and potatoes. Using the glycemic index for meal planning has its draw- backs. Many factors, such as the form of the food, the fiber content, the method of cooking and composition of foods in present, and previous meals can all effect the glycemic response. Therefore, glycemic index is not recommended for meal planning.
Nutritive sweeteners cause only a small rise in plasma glucose when diabetes is in control.
However, they do contain calories and need to be included in the calorie allotment for the day. Examples of nutritive sweeteners are sucrose, fructose, xylitol, mannitol, and sorbitol. Aspartame contains a small amount of calories which do not need to be included in meal planning. Each of these sweeteners has both positive and negative qualities. A qualified health professional can help decide which is best for the individual diabetic.