The GI Symbol and Your Food Labels

What is the GI Symbol?

The Glycemic Index Symbol is a powerful tool for quickly and reliably making healthy food choices when grocery shopping. It’s your guarantee that the GI value stated near the nutrition information label is accurate. Foods with the GI Symbol are healthy in other ways, too. To be approved to carry the GI Symbol, foods must be a good source of carbohydrate and meet a host of other nutrient criteria including calories/kilojoules, total and saturated fat, sodium (salt), and where appropriate fibre and calcium.

Why put the GI Symbol on food labels?

The GI Symbol makes healthy choices easy choices. Most of us find it hard to work out what all of the different nutrition claims and nutrition information means, and just because a food may claim to be low GI, it does not mean that it has been tested correctly, if at all. Foods that carry the GI Symbol meet strict nutrient criteria ensuring they are healthy choices, and the GI value is certified as accurate. Managing your blood glucose levels is one of the keys to lifelong health. Choosing low Glycemic Index carbohydrates – the ones that produce smaller fluctuations in your blood glucose and insulin levels – reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It’s also one of the keys to sustainable weight loss. Low GI eating is for everybody. The GI Symbol helps you put those smart low GI carbohydrate foods into your shopping trolley and lower the overall GI of your diet. © 2013 THE GI FOUNDATION, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The Health Benefits of Low GI Eating

More on the Glycemic Index as it pertains to your diet . . . . .

The scientific evidence supporting the health benefits of a healthy low GI diet is overwhelming. We know from over 30 years of research from around the world that healthy low Glycemic Index diets: Help to fill you up and keep you feeling satisfied for longer, avoiding over eating or too much snacking. Lower your insulin levels which makes fat easier to burn and less likely to be stored. Help you to lose body fat and maintain lean muscle tissue. Reduce your triglycerides, total and 'bad' (LDL) cholesterol. Increase your levels of 'good' (HDL) cholesterol. Reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Help to manage your blood glucose levels and reduce your risk of developing diabetes complications. Reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Reduce your risk of developing some cancers Reduce your risk of developing certain eye diseases. Improve your skin Sustain your energy levels longer, improving both mental and physical performance. Low GI eating really is for everyone.

Knowing the GI of foods is of particular value to people with diabetes who need to manage their blood glucose levels carefully. Perhaps unsurprisingly, diabetes organizations such as Diabetes Australia, Canadian Diabetes Association, European Association for the Study of Diabetes, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the South African Diabetes Association encourage an understanding and use of GI in meal planning. However, lowering the GI of your diet can also lead to better health  through improved heart health and helping to manage appetite. Health and nutrition authorities from around the world recommend that everyone use the GI as a tool when looking for healthy food choices: In 1998, the World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organisation recommended that the glycemic index of carbohydrate foods be a factor in food choice. The Dietary Guidelines for Australians specifically recommend the consumption of lower GI cereal-based foods: "Eat plenty of cereals, breads and pastas — preferably wholegrain ... with a lower glycemic index ... ". © 2013 THE GI FOUNDATIOn