Glycemic load: what is it?

The key points:

A key indicator of a food's ability to raise blood sugar
A quantitative indicator of the amount of carbohydrates
The partner of the glycemic index

REMINDERS about the glycemic index

Last week we talked about the glycemic index , today we are going to discuss another concept: the glycemic load

It is a rather recent concept in nutrition which completes the notion of glycemic index.

As a reminder, the glycemic index reflects the ability of a food to raise blood sugar (blood glucose levels). It is a qualitative measurement determined according to the value of a reference carbohydrate: Glucose (IG=100).

Foods are classified into categories:

High glycemic index: over 70
Moderate glycemic index: between 55 and 70
Low glycemic index: less than or equal to 55

What is glycemic load?

The glycemic load takes into account the quantitative aspect and is interested in the quantity of ingested carbohydrates.

The glycemic load (CG) is derived from the glycemic index, it takes into account this one as well as the quantity of ingested carbohydrates.

Its formula is very simple and the CG is easy to calculate:

CG = (Amount of carbohydrates ingested X GI) / 100

The CG makes it possible to precisely estimate the impact of the consumption of a food on the glycemia.

As in the case of the GI, foods are classified into categories:

High glycemic load: CG > 20

Moderate glycemic load: CG between 10 and 20

Low glycemic load: CG < 10

Zero glycemic load: CG = 0

It is preferable to prefer a Rather low GL , as a high glycemic load can lead to blood sugar imbalances associated with cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes.

Example of glycemic index and glycemic load?

To help you choose your foods and better know what you eat, here is a (non-exhaustive) table of GIs and CGs of common foods.

Food	GI	CG per 100g
Cheese	0	0
Fish	0	0
Beef	0	0
Eggs	0	0
"Soy milk	30	0
"Coconut milk	40	0
Cider	40	0
Butter	50	0
Natural yogurt	20	0
Onions	10	1
Lawyer	10	1
Olive	10	1
Nut	15	1
cooked sauerkraut	15	1
Cabbage	15	1
Cauliflower	15	1
Broccoli	15	1
chicory	15	1
Zucchini	15	1
Fennel	15	1
Leeks	15	1
asparagus	15	1
Epinard	15	1
Radish	15	1
Rocket	15	1
Cucumber	15	1
Salad (generic)	15	1
Onions and shallots	15	1
Artichokes	20	1
fresh strawberries	25	1
Green beans	30	1
Cassis	15	2
Peanuts	20	2
Palm heart	20	2
Fresh apricots	20	2
Lemon juice	20	2
Semi-skimmed milk	30	2
Oat "milk"	30	2
"Almond milk	30	2
Tomatoes	30	2
raw carrots	30	2
raw beetroot	30	2
Raw celeriac	35	2
Turnip	70	2
Garlic	10	3
Almonds	15	3
cooked soybeans	20	3
fresh raspberries	25	3
blueberries	25	3
Raspberries	25	3
Cashew nut	25	3
Compote without sugar	30	3
Tangerines	30	3
Quince	35	3
Orange	35	3
Tomato juice	35	3
Sin	30	3
Green lentils	22	4
Cherry	22	4
Pear	35	4
Fig	35	4
Fresh peas	35	4
Salsify	35	4
Fresh peas	40	4
Fresh squeezed orange juice	40	4
Red beans	40	4
Melon	60	4
Melon	65	4
Apples	30	4
Pears	30	4
Plain soy yogurt	20	5
Split peas	22	5
Flageolets	25	5
White beans	30	5
Brown lentils	30	5
Canned peas	45	5
cooked beets	65	5
Squashes (pumpkin, pumpkin)	75	5
Watermelon	75	5
cooked carrots	85	5
Cocoa Powder	20	6
cooked quinoa	35	6
Fresh white beans	35	6
Grenade	35	6
Grape	40	6
Surimi	50	6
Sweet industrial mayonnaise	60	6
cooked beans	80	6
Beer	110	6
Dark chocolate 70%	22	7
Chickpeas	30	7
gluten-free muesli	39	7
Apple juice	40	7
Wholemeal pasta	40	7
green banana	45	7
Fresh pineapple	45	7
Kiwi	55	7
industrial orange juice	65	7
Rutabagas	72	7
Carrot juice (pure)	40	8
Grapefruit juice	45	8
Mango	51	8
Ice cream	35	9
Sweetened soy yogurt	35	9
Boiled potato	65	9
Yam	50	10
Banana	60	10
Agave syrup	15	11
Fruit marmalade without sugar	30	11
Yeast	35	11
Bulgur	45	11
Al dente pasta	45	11
Canned pineapple	65	11
rice "milk"	85	11
Basmati rice	50	12
Complete rice	50	12
Fresh nectarine	35	13
raw beans	40	13
Buckwheat crepe	50	13
"Normal" cooking pasta	55	13
Lemonade	65	13
Mashed potatoes	90	13
Ketchup	55	14
Long white rice	60	14
Boiled potato, without skin	70	14
Mung Beans	25	15
Sorbet without sugar	50	15
Sodas (generic)	70	15
Semolina	65	16
Increasing	67	17
Whole wheat bread	40	18
Bran bread	45	18
Sushi	55	19
Fructose	20	20
Whole rye bread	40	20
Rice cake	85	20
Pizza	70	20
dried apricots	35	22
Pre-cooked rice	90	22
Baked Potatoes	95	24
Chestnuts	60	25
Brioche	70	25
Fries	75	25
Prunes	40	28
Wholemeal flour	60	28
Fried potatoes	95	31
Buckwheat flour (buckwheat)	50	33
Shortbread cookies	55	37
Country bread	70	37
Rusks	70	37
Baguette (T55 flour)	70	37
Chips	80	39
“Petits Beurres” dry biscuits	55	41
Chocolate bar	70	42
Raisins	65	43
Cherries	23	45
Jam	65	46
White bread	85	49
White wheat flour	85	49
Cookies	70	54
Unsweetened popcorn	85	54
Sweet breakfast cereals	70	56
Cornflour	70	62
Sugar (sucrose)	70	70
Puffed rice cakes	90	70
Dates	95	71
Corn flakes	85	72
Honey	90	72
Cooked Tapioca	80	75
Rice flour	95	81
Glucose	100	100