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Carbohydrate

Blood sugar, glycaemic index and glycaemic load

  • 3 things to know
  • AS 1

Overview

How insulin and glucagon control blood glucose, glycaemic index bands and the factors that change them, glycaemic load and worked calculations.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

How does the body respond to a rise in blood glucose after a meal?

Key term

How does the body respond when blood glucose falls?

Key term

Why do sugary drinks raise blood glucose quickly?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    How does the body respond to a rise in blood glucose after a meal?

    Model answer

    A rise in blood glucose triggers the pancreas to release insulin. Insulin causes body cells to take up glucose and the liver and muscles to store it as glycogen.

  2. 2

    How does the body respond when blood glucose falls?

    Model answer

    A fall in blood glucose triggers the pancreas to release glucagon. Glucagon causes the liver to break down glycogen and release glucose into the blood.

  3. 3

    Why do sugary drinks raise blood glucose quickly?

    Model answer

    Sugars in drinks need little or no digestion and are absorbed rapidly. Glucose from a sugary drink reaches the blood within minutes, causing a sharp rise.

  4. 4

    Why does fructose raise blood glucose less than the same amount of glucose?

    Model answer

    Fructose is absorbed more slowly than glucose and is mostly taken up by the liver. Fructose therefore has a much lower glycaemic index than glucose.

  5. 5

    Define glycaemic index.

    Model answer

    Glycaemic index ranks carbohydrate foods by how much they raise blood glucose over two hours. Each food is compared with the same amount of carbohydrate as pure glucose, which scores 100.

  6. 6

    What are the bands for low, medium and high glycaemic index?

    Model answer

    A glycaemic index of 55 or less is low. A glycaemic index of 56 to 69 is medium, and 70 or more is high.

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