Glycemic Load (LG) – is a numerical value that takes into account both the glycemic index described and the amount of consumed carbohydrates included in a given product. The higher the glycemic load of a meal, the higher increase in blood glucose after consuming the meal. This indicator is much more useful than the standard glycemic index, which I will explain in a simple example.
The glycemic load can be calculated using a simple formula:
GL = C * GI / 100
Where:
GL – glycemic load
C – the amount of carbohydrates of a product in the consumed portion
GI – glycemic index
Chart: GI value (on the top) and GL (at the bottom). Low levels are marked green, medium yellow and high red.
A product with a higher glycemic index may cause lower release of insulin due to the carbohydrate content of the product. For example, 100g of watermelon has GI = 75, and only 8.4g of carbohydrates, the value of GL is 6.3. In turn, 100g of rice noodles has GI = 40 and as much as 22g of carbohydrates, therefore GL is 8.8. This means that a higher increase in blood glucose will occur after eating pasta even though it has lower GI than watermelon.
Below you will find a table presenting the values of the glycemic index and glycemic load of the individual products.
