Glycemic index of foods: a physiological basis for carbohydrate exchange.

The determine the effect of different foods on the blood glucose, 62 commonly eaten foods and sugars were fed individually to groups of 5 to 10 healthy fasting volunteers. Blood glucose levels were measured over 2 h, and expressed as a percentage of the area under the glucose response curve when the same amount of carbohydrate was taken as glucose. The largest rises were seen with vegetables (70 +/- 5%), followed by breakfast cereals (65 +/- 5%), cereals and biscuits (60 +/- 3%), fruit (50 +/- 5%), dairy products (35 +/- 1%), and dried legumes (31 +/- 3%). A significant negative relationship was seen between fat (p less than 0.01) and protein (p less than 0.001) and postprandial glucose rise but not with fiber or sugar content.