What is the difference between glycemic load and glycemic index?

Eating low GI foods is increasingly recommended. But we often forget to mention the glycemic load, which is nevertheless fundamental.

What is the relationship between the two, and which one should be favoured when deciding to adopt a low GI diet?

The glycemic index measures the speed at which carbohydrates are absorbed into the bloodstream.

• The higher the GI, the faster the glucose in the carbohydrates will raise blood sugar levels. And so, we will have a blood sugar peak.
• On the contrary, the lower the GI, the slower the glucose will enter the bloodstream. And so the body will be less solicited.

It is therefore necessary to favour low GI foods, see our food classification table.

But talking about the glycemic index while forgetting the glycemic load is not relevant.

Of course, the speed of carbohydrate absorption is important, but the amount of carbohydrate ingested obviously has an impact on blood sugar levels.

If you eat a very large amount of carbohydrates, even low GI ones, your blood sugar will be greatly affected!

The glycemic load measures both the rate of absorption (GI) and the quantity ingested (grams of carbohydrates).

We explain the magic formula to you:

So you can easily calculate it from the GI, and by looking at the percentage of carbohydrate in your plate.

Here is the classification of glycemic loads:

If it is low, you can go with your eyes closed (but be careful, the load adds up as you eat...)

Finally, we give you the CG of our pastries: