The relationship between glycemic index and insulin: How food affects blood sugar and health

Food determines glucose, and glucose determines insulin.

What we eat and how much we eat at our three daily meals are crucial, as they determine the amount and speed of insulin secretion.

Of the various nutrients we absorb, carbohydrates are the easiest to convert into glucose. Excessive intake causes the pancreas to become abnormally active, immediately producing large amounts of insulin upon contact with blood sugar.

The higher the glycemic index (GI), the faster the pancreas secretes insulin; conversely, the lower the GI, the slower the secretion.

The easier a food is to digest and absorb, the higher its GI.

Reducing sugar intake reduces stimulation of the pancreas, helping to lower insulin levels.

Eating is a pleasurable activity that we do every day. After food is digested, it is converted into glucose, which the body needs. Once the pancreas detects glucose entering the body, it immediately reacts, initiating its energy storage function and lowering blood sugar. Therefore, what we eat and how much we eat at our three daily meals are crucial, as they determine the amount and speed of insulin secretion.

Food determines glucose levels, glucose determines insulin levels, and both excessive and insufficient insulin secretion are detrimental to health.

The faster glucose enters cells, the faster the blood sugar concentration rises, and the faster the pancreas secretes insulin; conversely, the slower the rise, the slower the secretion. Blood glucose that was originally transported to organs like the liver and muscles has more time to be converted into energy and used by the body, preventing it from accumulating in fat cells and causing them to enlarge—the common obesity we see.

Of the various nutrients we absorb, carbohydrates (especially high-glycemic index carbohydrates, such as potatoes and cakes) are most easily converted into glucose. If too much is consumed, the pancreas becomes abnormally active, immediately producing large amounts of insulin upon contact with blood sugar. This means that the glucose you ingest will have several times more chance of being converted into fat! Fluctuating blood sugar levels will impair or even damage pancreatic function, leading to insufficient or absent insulin secretion (a symptom of late-stage diabetes). This hinders the entry of blood glucose into tissue cells and its oxidation within cells, thus triggering hyperglycemia, or diabetes. Insulin needs to be balanced, and a very useful tool for this is the glycemic index (GI).

Generally, the glycemic index is the ratio of the rate at which blood sugar rises two hours after consuming a particular food to the rate at which blood sugar rises two hours after consuming a standard food (100cc of glucose) with the same sugar content. It's also known as the "glycemic index" or "blood sugar index."

In general, foods with a higher glycemic index (GI) cause a faster rise in blood sugar after consumption and are considered "bad" carbohydrates; conversely, foods with a lower glycemic index cause a slower rise in blood sugar, ensuring stable metabolic function and are considered "good" carbohydrates.

The main factor affecting the glycemic index of food is its sugar content, but other factors also play a role, such as the rate of eating, the fat and soluble fiber content of the food, the rate of gastric emptying, the digestive and absorptive functions of the gastrointestinal tract, and whether the food contains factors that hinder digestion and absorption. These factors all influence the glycemic index to varying degrees.