Ever wondered why some meals make you sleepy while others make you wide awake? It’s all about your blood sugar. Blood sugar is influenced by the nature of carbs in your food, but there is a number that tells you exactly how each food affects it. That number is called the Glycemic Index, or GI. Countries like Australia, New Zealand, and China have made it mandatory for packaged food to carry the GI value.
India, on the other hand, is the diabetes capital of the world. Labelling GI could make a huge difference. It helps people with diabetes pick the right food. India does have a standard for this. If a company wants to claim a GI value, it can follow IS 16495:2017. The catch is not everyone does. Labelling costs money and time.
Processed foods need caution, but natural foods are simpler. You can make better choices without spending extra. In this blog, we have put together the GI of all kinds of Indian foods. So, stick around, read till the end, and see which foods will spike your sugar and which will keep it steady.
Table of Contents
Does Sweet Mean Diabetes?
A common belief about diabetes is that anything sweet will send blood sugar levels soaring. It sounds logical but it is not entirely true. What matters is not the taste but the kind of sugar involved.
Different sugars behave differently in the body. Added sugars in desserts or sweetened drinks push blood glucose up quickly. Artificial sweeteners such as stevia in herbal drops or sucralose used in diet sodas add sweetness without adding sugar. Sugar alcohols, which occur naturally in fruits like apples, pears, and peaches, and are also used in sugar-free products through compounds such as xylitol and erythritol, are absorbed slowly and only partly converted into glucose.
Sweetness by itself does not guarantee a spike in blood sugar. What really matters is how fast the sugar from a food enters the bloodstream. That is what the glycemic index measures.
And that brings us to the next question. What exactly is the glycemic index?
What is Glycemic Index?
The Glycemic Index (GI) measures how quickly a carbohydrate-containing food raises your blood sugar compared to pure glucose, which has a GI of 100. Carbohydrates come in two types: some digest fast, spiking your sugar quickly, while others release sugar slowly over time. To measure this, researchers feed volunteers a portion of food with 50 grams of available carbs, track their blood sugar for two hours, and compare it to the response from glucose or white bread. If a food causes only half the rise in blood sugar as glucose, its GI is 50. In simple terms, 50 grams of sugar (GI 100) has a similar glucose impact as 100 grams of a food with a GI of 50, though that food usually has more fiber, nutrients, and calories that slow digestion and sustain energy.
What is the Importance of GI Index?
Glycemic index has multiple benefits which are as follows:
1- Diabetes Management
One of the key benefits of GI is that it helps you pick the right foods to keep blood sugar in check. Knowing which foods spike sugar and which release it slowly makes managing diabetes a lot less of a guessing game.
2- Helps in Weight Management
Foods with a low GI usually contain slow-digesting carbs that keep you feeling full longer, cutting down on hunger and overeating. High GI foods, on the other hand, break down fast, spike blood sugar, and trigger cravings that make it hard to stop at one bite.
3- Improves Heart Health
Low GI foods are good news for the heart. High GI foods stress the body and raise bad cholesterol, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular problems. Low GI foods do the opposite, keeping your heart calmer and cholesterol in check. (1,2)
India Food and Their Glycemic Index
From breakfast parathas to evening snacks, the foods we eat every day have a big say in how our blood sugar behaves. Knowing the GI of commonly eaten Indian staples makes it easier to keep energy steady from morning to night. Here is the GI index of fruits and vegetables that feature regularly in Indian households.
Glycemic Index of Indian Breakfast, Staples, and Snacks (3)
Does Your Food Product Really have a low GI?
When I called the Diabexy help center, the company that sells diabetic atta, I just wanted a simple answer about what they actually mean by low glycemic index and how much it can really help in lowering blood sugar levels. To my surprise, they could not give me a clear reply. Each time I asked about glycemic index, they kept mentioning glycemic load. I repeated my question several times and when they finally understood what I was asking, they simply apologized and ended the call.
That experience made me realize how easily companies use words like low GI or diabetic friendly without being able to explain what those claims actually mean. Without proper testing, these terms are just marketing slogans that sound scientific but may not mean much in reality.
Take the example of the ORSL case. The brand was selling its product as ORS even though it did not match the WHO recommended formula. They lost the case in the Delhi High Court but still managed to return to the market. This clearly shows how in India, health often takes second place to profit.
The same pattern can be seen in many industries. The first time India conducted a large scale test of pharmaceutical products, about 70% were found to be substandard. That is an alarming number. If such poor quality exists even in medicines, imagine the state of food products being sold under claims like low GI when there is almost no testing, no regulation, and no enforcement. India does have a standard for testing glycemic index under ISO 26642:2010, but very few companies seem to follow it. That is why testing is so important. Today almost everything around us, from paneer and sweets to medicines, can be adulterated. The only way to rebuild trust is through verified and transparent testing. SayaCare has taken an important step in that direction by making testing a priority. Because only when a product is tested can we truly believe in it. Tested hai toh bharosa hai.
Conclusion
Understanding the glycemic index is like having a cheat sheet for your blood sugar. Not all carbs are created equal, and knowing which foods spike your sugar and which release it slowly can make a huge difference in daily energy, weight management, and long-term health. Sweet does not always mean sugary, and not every sweet food will raise your blood sugar the same way. From your morning paratha to evening snacks, choosing low or medium GI foods can keep cravings in check and your heart happier. India is home to a huge variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, and snacks, and as we have seen, their GI values vary widely. While processed foods can be tricky, natural foods give you an easy win, no labelling required, just smart choices. So next time you plan a meal, glance at your plate with GI in mind. Pick foods that keep your sugar steady, energy consistent, and body happier. With a little awareness, you can turn your everyday meals into tools for better health without giving up the foods you love.
Mahak Phartyal completed her bachelor's in pharmacy from Veer Madho Singh Bhandari Uttarakhand Technical University. She previously worked as a Medical Writer at Meril Life Sciences, where she wrote numerous scientific abstracts for conferences such as India Live 2024 and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). During her college years, she developed a keen research interest and published an article titled “Preliminary Phytochemical Screening, Physicochemical and Fluorescence Analysis of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis and Syzygium cumini Leaves.”
Mahak Phartyal completed her bachelor’s in pharmacy from Veer Madho Singh Bhandari Uttarakhand Technical University. She previously worked as a Medical Writer at Meril Life Sciences, where she wrote numerous scientific abstracts for conferences such as India Live 2024 and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). During her college years, she developed a keen research interest and published an article titled “Preliminary Phytochemical Screening, Physicochemical and Fluorescence Analysis of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis and Syzygium cumini Leaves.”
