Guide to Understanding the Connection Between Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar

Exploring the Relationship Between Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar

Carbohydrates are one of the critical nutrients that are present in your food. The others are fat and protein. Your cells get energy to function and perform from carbohydrates. When you eat foods that have carbohydrates, the digestive system breaks them down into sugar, and your blood sugar levels rise. While this happens, the pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that instructs the cells to absorb this blood sugar to get energy or store it. 

As blood sugar gets absorbed, the levels fall again, and the pancreas produces another hormone, glucagon, which signals the liver to release sugar that was stored. Between this process of insulin and glucagon production, it is ensured that the body receives a steady supply of blood sugar. 

There are two kinds of carbohydrates - Simple and Complex.

Simple carbohydrates are made up of sugars with chemical structures of one or two sugars - monosaccharides or disaccharides. Because of their structure, they are easily absorbed by the body, leading to a faster rise in blood sugar and insulin levels and can adversely affect health.

Complex carbohydrates, as the name implies, have complex chemical structures. They are made up of three or more sugars - oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. Complex carbohydrates also contain vitamins, minerals and fibre and take more time to digest, so blood sugars rise slowly after consumption. Some complex carbohydrates like white bread or potatoes contain more starch than other nutrients. 

This classification of carbohydrates needed to be revised to determine how they can affect blood sugar levels and for which the glycemic index was developed.

Understanding the Glycemic Index (GI)

The glycemic index (GI) ranks carbohydrates on a scale of 0 to 100, depending on the increased blood sugar levels after consuming them. Foods with a high glycemic index are digested quickly and immediately raise blood sugar levels, causing rapid fluctuations. Foods with a low glycemic index are digested slowly and gradually, steadily raising blood sugar levels. 

Low GI VS High GI Foods

Eating large quantities of high glycemic index foods can cause high spikes in blood sugar levels and is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. 

High GI foods can also lead to:

1. Heart Disease
2. Obesity
3. Infertility
4. Colorectal Cancer
5. Age-related macular degeneration

Foods with low GI can help control diabetes and contribute to weight loss. According to a study, diets with low GI also have anti-inflammatory benefits.

Various factors can influence a food's glycemic index.

1. Amount of Processing Done to a Food: Refined grains with bran and germ removed have a higher GI.
    
2. Change in Physical Form: Coarsely ground grain takes more time to digest than finely ground grain, thereby changing the GI.
    
3. Fibre Content: Foods high in fibre have lesser carbohydrate content, slow down the digestion rate, and cause a gradual rise in blood sugar.
    
4. Fat and Acid Content: Foods with more fat or acid content are digested slowly.
    
5. Ripeness: Ripe fruits and vegetables have a higher GI than unripened ones.

Let's look at some examples of common foods and their GI.

Fact: While the glycemic index can tell how much blood sugar levels rise after having carbohydrates, it does consider how much food is being eaten in the presence of other nutrients like protein, fat, vitamins, and other meal components, which can impact blood sugar levels.

For this purpose, the glycemic load was developed. 

Glycemic Load = Glycemic Index x Amount of Carbohydrates/100 

The Glycemic Load Scale

Let's look at some examples of common foods and their Glycemic Load

Did you notice that watermelon features as a food with a High Glycemic Index but with a low glycemic load? 

Watermelon has a GI value of 76, which is high on the scale — which may lead you to think it’ll cause a significant spike.  But one serving of watermelon (1 cup of cubed fruit) only has 11 grams of carbs because it’s mostly water. In other words, it’s absorbed quickly into your bloodstream (so it has a high GI), but it doesn’t have a lot of carbs (so the GL is low).

Carb Counting for Diabetes Management

Carb counting begins with knowing and recognising which foods contain carbohydrates and how soon they can raise sugar levels after consumption. One can use knowledge of glycemic index or glycemic load to determine this. 

Carb counting helps maintain steady blood sugar levels for overall health and prevents issues due to excessively high or low sugar levels. 

As a rule, 1 gram of carbohydrate can give 4 calories. With this, one can calculate the calories consumed in the foods. There is no 'one size fits all' approach here. Healthcare providers assess the target based on individual needs and stage of diabetes. 

Read the back of pack labels and the nutrition labels carefully. Notice the number of carbohydrates per serving size and keep track of the count for your daily allowance.

The 15-15 Rule

Keeping your blood sugar levels steady and on target is essential for maintaining overall good health. Blood sugar level below 70mg/dL is considered low. If you do not treat it immediately, it can be dangerous. 

If your blood sugar goes between 55 and 69 mg/dL, you should follow the 15 - 15 rule.

Have 15 grams of carbohydrates, wait 15 minutes and check your blood sugar levels. If it's still not in your target range, repeat the process until the blood sugar reaches the desired levels.

Once it is in the desired range, have a nutritious meal so your blood sugar level doesn't go back down again.

Here are some items that contain 15g of carbohydrates

1. Half a cup of Juice
2. 1 Tablespoon of honey or sugar
3. Candies - read labels to ascertain how much to have
4. Glucose tablets

Wrapping Up

As we conclude our exploration of carbohydrates and blood sugar, the importance of mindful eating and informed choices becomes clear. Whether managing diabetes or aiming for optimal health, understanding the impact of carbohydrates on blood sugar is a fundamental step towards a balanced and nourished life.