The glycemic index, or GI, rates foods that contain carbohydrates on a scale of 1 to 100. Foods on the lower end are considered low-glycemic foods, while foods closer to 100 are high-glycemic foods. The theory behind the glycemic index is that foods with a rating closer to 100 cause your blood sugar to spike suddenly. Both white and brown rice are high on the glycemic index, although brown rice is slightly lower.
High GI Foods
The glycemic index is most often used as a guide to help diabetics stabilize their blood sugar levels, although several weight loss diets also use this system. Proponents of the glycemic index claim that foods high on the scale, such as white rice, quickly digest and convert into sugar, or blood glucose. This causes your blood sugar to quickly rise shortly after eating the food and then drop to a lower level than it was in the first place. When this happens, you may feel hungry again shortly after eating. White rice has a GI rating of about 65, and brown rice has a slightly lower rating of 55, according to the Harvard Medical School.
Low GI Foods
Foods with a low GI rating break down slowly in your gut. This causes your blood sugar to gradually rise to a moderate level and stay in this range for an extended period of time. If you are monitoring your blood glucose or are concerned about the glycemic index of foods, some types of grains or legumes may be better than others. Opt for lentils or barley in place of rice. Both of these foods have a glycemic index rating under 30.
Converted rice, also called parboiled rice, is lower on the glycemic index than traditional white or brown rice. During manufacturing, rice grains are pressure steamed and dried. This process forces all of the vitamins and minerals from the husk into the starch granule. The outer husk falls off and all that is left is the gelatinous starchy granule. This part of the rice grain is full of nutrients and is lower on the glycemic index than traditional forms of rice. Converted rice has a glycemic index of about 38, making it much lower on the GI scale than white or brown rice.
The glycemic index is not a perfect system for evaluating foods since it does not evaluate all of the foods within a meal. For example, if you make fried white rice, the glycemic index of the final product may be lower. The addition of vegetables, eggs and meat causes the fried rice to digest slowly. It may not raise your blood sugar as quickly as plain white rice. Pairing brown rice with black beans may also lessen the spike in blood glucose, since black beans have a GI rating of about 30. Plan your meals accordingly and include low glycemic index foods with your side of rice to avoid a surge in your blood sugar.
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