Wouldn’t it be great if you could just eat as much sugar as you want without worrying about health consequences? Well, you can actually eat sugar, but you got to choose the right sugar. The real deal is that processed sugars can be toxic for the body. Beyond providing just calories, processed sugar is also highly addictive and can cause blood sugar to spike. It also interferes with nutrient absorption and is even linked with diseases like weight gain, heart disease, and degenerative disease. So why not try low glycemic food that are beneficial for the body and health!
We’ll be discussing low glycemic food in the post. Stay tuned!
Swapping out white stuff for another minimally processed, more natural sugar can do better for your body. There are alternatives to processed regular sugar that provide you with various amazing benefits. Though natural sugars are also sugars they are easy to process and have a range of nutrients and other health benefits.
The Glycemic index indicates how quickly carbohydrate-containing foods increase your blood sugar level as compared to pure glucose. Some food items have high glycemic levels while some food items have low glycemic indexes.
The nutrients suggest consuming low glycemic index sugar as it has a number of potential health benefits. It includes reduced blood sugar, weight loss and lowers your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Those who want to understand the difference between good and bad sugars need to note the difference between fructose, glucose, and sucrose.
Better sugars such as maple syrup, date syrup, and coconut sugar have a low glycemic index and have a low amount of sucrose. Sucrose and glucose cause insulin levels to spike whereas fructose does not.
Let’s talk a little about various types of sugars
White Sugar
White sugar is also known as table sugar, is refined from sugarcane and beet. It is then processed and converted to white sugar, during the refining process, moisture, minerals, and other compounds that give sugars their color is removed and white sugar is formed. The byproduct that is removed during the process is known as molasses.
Brown Sugar
It is refined white sugar with varying amounts of molasses added. Brown sugar and molasses contain more compounds that give them brown colors.
Honey
This sugar-rich nectar is collected by bees from a huge variety of flowers. Fructose is the main sugar found in honey, followed by sucrose and glucose. The sweet taste of honey comes to form rich fructose content. Honey contains up to 17% water.
Which Sugar Type is Good?
Many studies have reported adverse effects from white sugar and high fructose. Some sugars such as honey are high in fructose. Fructose sugar is much sweeter than sucrose and glucose, which is why only a small amount is needed to achieve the same level of sweetness as of white sugar. Honey and syrups also have higher water content.
Antioxidant value
As there is so much refining and processing in various types of sugars the nutrients are usually lost in extraction and processing. The sugars that are less refined have a higher content of minerals and they also have increased anti-oxidant capacity which reduces cell damage in the body.
Best Sugar Substitutes
Low-glycemic index foods are slower to raise a person’s blood sugar levels. Studies suggest that a low-glycemic diet that can assist to reduce blood pressure in healthy adults.
Eating low carbohydrate diet improves blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Some of the best sugar substitutes include
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Date Syrup
Date syrup is not just sugar but is made from fruit. It is low on the glycemic index and is lower in fructose also. Date syrup has a rich number of antioxidants and other nutrients like zinc, phosphorus, and magnesium. The presence of potassium in syrup helps your body slowly absorb and regular sugar in the bloodstream.
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Maple Syrups
Maple syrup has all the markers of a better sugar alternative. Including a low glycemic index sugar and it also has a low fructose content. Maple syrup is processed and packed with minerals and antioxidants including zinc, riboflavin, manganese, and magnesium. It also has low calories than other sweeteners. However, the important thing to note here is that while maple syrup makes sure to buy 100% maple syrup because there are chances that you might get corn syrup with maple flavoring.
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Pure Honey
Raw honey is much like rates because it is real food, it has sugar and it tastes delicious. In addition to sugar, honey also has electrolytes, amino acids, and many anti-oxidants. It has been touted for its amazing antiseptic properties and its ability to alleviate allergy symptoms.
Though honey contains a high ratio of fructose, it has a low glycemic index which makes it the most suitable sweetener. Many studies say that replacing sugar with honey can lower blood sugar levels and prevent weight gain.
Coconut Sugar
Coconut sugar is extracted from the flowers of coconut trees. It is rich in electrolytes and potassium. It is the best replacement for white sugar in recipes. However, coconut sugar is processed and is not as natural and nutrient dance as others.
Other Examples of Low Glycemic index Foods
Some of the common food items with low GI values include
- Milk
- Fruits
- Sweet potato
- Butter
- Beans
- Pease
- Barley
- Non-starchy vegetables
Tips on following a glycemic index diet
When you are following a diet, it is important to remember that high GI foods are not banned. However, it is better if your wat in moderation. Anyone on the low-GI diet can also enjoy foods that do not contain carbohydrates such as meats, seafood, fish, eggs, herbs, spices, and nuts.
Final Thought
Low GI foods have scores below 55 and they contain carbohydrates that the body can easily break down. Low-GI foods also raise the blood sugar level, pre slowly as compared to high Gi foods.
Foods that are processed more tend to have high GI scores. Moreover, sugar in fruits can also break down resulting in a high GI score. Most of the cooking and processing of carbohydrates also increase GI scores.
If you want to stay healthy you should prefer consuming food items with a low glycemic index.
