Parsnips: Should This High-Glycemic Food Be Avoided?

There are many diet plans today that advise you to avoid high GI (glycemic index) foods. I was surprised to find that one of my favorite vegetables, the parsnip, was in this high GI category. Should I stop eating parsnips because of their glycemic index?

Carbohydrates are converted to glucose after they enter the body. The rate at which carbohydrates are converted to glucose is known as the glycemic response. Foods with a higher glycemic response cause a faster rise in blood sugar levels.

The glycemic index is a system of ranking carbohydrate-containing foods to give an indication of how quickly blood sugar will rise after consumption. The glycemic index goes from 0 to 100, where zero represents foods without carbohydrates, that is, they do not cause an increase in blood sugar, and 100 represents pure glucose.

Foods with a glycemic index below 55 are known as low GI foods, foods with a GI of 56 to 69 are medium GI foods, and foods with a GI of 70 or higher are high GI foods.

By avoiding high GI foods, you will be in a better position to maintain a relatively constant blood sugar level, which will reduce the likelihood of gaining body fat and, particularly for people with diabetes, prevent medical complications. . Parsnips have a glycemic index of 97; it has a very high GI. If we avoid foods with a high GI, parsnips would not make it to the table.

The body’s glycemic response is based on 2 factors; The glycemic index and the amount of carbohydrates consumed. If a small amount of carbohydrates with a high glycemic index were consumed, there would be a relatively low rise in blood sugar.

This is the case with parsnips; an 80-gram serving of parsnips contains 12 grams of carbohydrates. Although parsnips have a high GI value, they contain a relatively small amount of carbohydrate and the glycemic response will not be as great as, say, the same portion of glucose.

Glycemic load takes into account both the glycemic index and net carbs to determine how carbs and the amount eaten will affect your blood sugar. The glycemic load is determined by taking the GI value as a percentage and multiplying it by the amount of net carbs. Parsnips have a glycemic load of 12.

A glycemic load of 10 or less is low, between 11 and 20 is medium, and over 20 is considered high. Parsnips can fall victim to the GI system; however, considering the relative amount of carbohydrates in the food, parsnips are an excellent filling food that can be incorporated into a healthy diet.