Glycaemic index values

How strongly a carbohydrate lifts blood glucose, measured against the same amount of pure glucose, is expressed as glycaemic index values. Low-index foods release their sugars slowly and are favoured in diets aimed at steady energy and blood-sugar control, while high-index foods spike faster. The numbers depend on starch structure, fibre, fat, acidity and processing, so the same food can score differently across preparations. Nutrition labels and diet plans use these values to compare carbohydrate foods on a common scale.