Carbohydrates & glycaemic index (summary)

Carbohydrates (carbs) directly affect your blood glucose.

The three main types of dietary carbohydrates are sugars, starches, and fibre. They’re called ‘simple’ or ‘complex’ based on their chemical makeup and how long it takes your body to break them down and absorb them.

You should try to choose wholegrain or higher fibre versions of breads, rice, or pasta. You can also leave the skin on potatoes. These steps will help you to eat more fibre.

Increasing your fibre intake has many health benefits. Fibre can help to keep hunger at bay. It can also help to reduce your cholesterol levels.

Why does my body need carbs?

Carbs are broken down in the body to provide glucose. This is the main source of energy for all the cells in your body.

The glycaemic index scores foods containing carbohydrates. It scores how quickly each food affects your blood sugar (blood glucose) level when that food is eaten on its own.

Foods with a high GI are those that your body can digest quickly. These can also make your blood sugar (blood glucose) and insulin levels change quickly.

Low GI carbohydrates make smaller changes to your blood glucose and insulin levels.

There are several factors that can affect the GI score of a food. For example, the types of nutrients found in the food, how the food is cooked, how ripe the foods are, and how much processing of the food has taken place.

What are the three GI ratings?

• Low: 55 or less.

• Medium: 56 – 69.

• High: 70 or above.