Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load: Traditional Foods (African)

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Friday, August 20, 2004 1:06 am Email this article
Below is a table with the glycemic index and glycemic loads of traditional foods from Africa.

High glycemic index foods increase calorie intake by 50 to 80 percent when compared to medium- and low-glycemic index foods according to one study.

Low glycemic index foods reduce calorie intake and are associated with lower body weights.

Some researchers believe that low-carbohydrate diets work because they are low glycemic index and low glycemic load foods.

Glycemic index is how quickly a given amount of food raises blood sugar levels relative to pure glucose (blood sugar).

Glycemic load is a ranking of how much a standard serving of food raises your blood sugar. Glycemic load is calculated by multiplying the amount of carbohydrate in a food by the glycemic index and dividing by 100. Glycemic load of a food is a better tool than the glycemic index value of a food when evaluating the foods you eat.

A more complete description of glycemic index and glycemic load can be found here.

     

Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load of Traditional Foods of Ethnic Groups
INDIGENOUS OR TRADITIONAL FOODS OF DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS	Glycemic   Index	Glycemic     Load	Serving   size	Available   carbohydrate
	(Glucose = 100)	(per serving)	grams	grams per serving
African
618 Brown beans (South Africa)	24 ± 8	6	50 (dry)	25
619 Gram dhal (South Africa)	5 ± 3	1	50 (dry)	29
620 Maize meal porridge, unrefined, maize meal:water (1:3) (South Africa)	71 ± 6	25	50 (dry)	36
Maize meal porridge, refined, maize-meal:water (1:3) (South Africa)	74 ± 7	30	50 (dry)	40
Maize meal porridge or gruel (Kenya)	109	41	50 (dry)	38
621 M’fino or Morogo, wild greens (South Africa)	68 ± 8	34	120	50
622 Cassava, boiled, with salt (Kenya)	46	12	100	27
623 Millet flour porridge or gruel (Kenya)	107	—	—	—
624 Ga kenkey, prepared from fermented cornmeal (Zea mays) (Ghana)	12 ± 1	7	150	13
625 Gari, roasted cassava dough (Manihot utilissima) (Ghana)	56 ± 3	15	100	27
626 Unripe plantain (Musa paradisiaca) (Ghana)	40 ± 4	13	120 (raw)	34
627 Yam (Dyscoria) (Ghana)	66	23	150	36

Articles on the same subject can be found here:

• Glycemic Index Tables