The Low Glycemic Index of the Ningxia Goji Berry .
New Research has shown that the dried Ningxia Goji berries has one of the lowest glycemic indexes of any food. This means that when the dried Ningxia Goji berry is eaten alone or is incorporated into any diet, it exerts only a minimal impact on blood Sugar levels.
With a glycemic index of 29, dried Ningxia goji berries ranks 30% lower than whole-grain wheat, Pinto beans, All Bran cereal and 40% lower than whole grain brown rice and whole grain buckwheat.
As one of the most nutrient dense, lowest glycemic foods in existence, the Ningxia Goji berry is not just suitable for those seeking to avoid glucose overload and accelerated aging; it is also a superb nutrition for anyone wrestling with diabetes and pre-diabetes.
Low Glycemic foods are indispensable to diabetes and can also help pre-diabetes, borderline diabetes, and even nondiabetics avoid elevations in blood sugar that damage cells, blood vessels, tissues and organs.
What is Glycemic Index (GI)?
The Glycemic Index (GI) is a system of ranking the quality of carbohydrate in a food according to the immediate effect it has on blood glucose. Individual foods are compared to pure glucose, which has its Glycemic Index set at 100. For comparison, pearl barley has a value of 33, oranges are 49, and whole wheat bread is 71.
The Glycemic Index was conceived in 1979 by Dr. David Jenkins, together with Dr. Thomas Wolever and Dr. Alexandra Jenkins. The GI breakthrough was the outcome of research conducted at both Oxford University and at the University of Toronto to determine which foods would be best for people with diabetes.
Health Benefits of Foods Low on the GI Scale.
You are what you eat!
This old adage has been proven correct again when it comes to the GI. The original concept was a response to concern for people with impaired insulin responses. Improved stability of blood sugar levels is critical to those people with diabetes, but research has repeatedly shown that stable blood sugar levels have positive health implications for everyone. The health benefits of being able to make nutritional choices which affect the stability of your blood sugar throughout the day are far-reaching.
Quickly digested and metabolized foods possess the highest glycemic indices.
Slowly digested foods release glucose gradually into the bloodstream, and are therefore, typically low glycemic.
All foods, drinks, and Nutraceuticals can be categorized as either high or low glycemic
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High glycemic foods elevate blood glucose and insulin levels, and stimulate fat-storage. From there the term “sugar rush”, and feeling tired after eating foods/sweets with a high glycemic index.
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Low glycemic foods do not overly elevate blood glucose and insulin, and do not stimulate Lipoprotein Lipase (LPL) fat-storing mechanisms.
Diets based on low GI foods have been shown to:
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stabilize blood sugar.
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assist in reducing body weight and control body weight
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decrease visceral fat (Visceral fat - around the abdomen) is prone to lead to insulin resistance,)
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control appetite
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improve energy levels
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balance mood
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promote regularity
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reduce hospital stay after cardiovascular surgery
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Improve diabetes control
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increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin.
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reduce the risk of heart disease
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reduce blood cholesterol levels
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prolong physical endurance – that is why the Chinese Olympic swimmers use Goji as there secret weapon.
How is the GI of a food measured?
To determine a food's GI rating, measured portions of the food containing 10 - 50 grams of carbohydrate are fed to 10 healthy people after an overnight fast. Finger-prick blood samples are then taken at 15-30 minute intervals over the next two hours. These blood samples are used to construct a blood sugar response curve for the two hour period. The area under the curve (AUC) is calculated to reflect the total rise in blood glucose levels after eating the test food. The GI rating (%) is calculated by dividing the AUC for the test food by the AUC for the reference food (same amount of glucose) and multiplying by 100. The use of a standard food is essential for reducing the confounding influence of differences in the physical characteristics of the subjects. The average of the GI ratings from all ten subjects is then published as the GI of that food.
