What Is the Glycemic Index?

The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly food raises our blood sugar. And the scale of the glycemic index goes from 0 all the way up to 100.

Foods with a higher glycemic index are more readily absorbed in our body and raises our blood sugar more. A lower glycemic index doesn't affect our blood sugar as much.

The glycemic index is an imperfect system, because everyone's body responds a little bit different. It also doesn't consider how much food we eat. But it is overall a useful tool to help keep our blood sugar steady and eating more nutritious foods.

Foods that have a low glycemic index typically have more fiber and less sugar, but it's important to know that low glycemic index food doesn't necessarily mean that it's healthy. After all, lard has a very low glycemic index.