Editing Glycemic index (section)

==Limitations==
===Compared to quantity of carbohydrate===
Depending on quantities, the number of grams of carbohydrate in a food can have a bigger impact on blood sugar levels than the glycemic index does. Consuming less dietary energy, losing weight, and [[carbohydrate counting]] can be better for lowering the blood sugar level.<ref name="freeman" /> Carbohydrates impact glucose levels most profoundly, and two foods with the same carbohydrate content are, in general, comparable in their effects on blood sugar. A food with a low glycemic index can have a high carbohydrate content or vice versa; this can be accounted for with the [[glycemic load]] (GL) where {{math|GL {{=}} GI% × grams of carbohydrate per serving}}.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

===Compared to insulin index===
While the glycemic index of foods is used as a guide to the rise in blood glucose that should follow meals containing those foods, actual increases in blood glucose show considerable variability from person to person, even after consumption of identical meals.<ref name="ZeeviKorem2015"/> This is in part because glycemic index does not take into account other factors besides glycemic response, such as [[Insulin#Physiological effects|insulin response]], which is measured by the [[insulin index]] and can be more appropriate in representing the effects from some food contents other than carbohydrates.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mendosa.com/insulin_index.htm |title=David Mendosa. Insulin Index. July 13, 2003 |publisher=Mendosa.com |access-date=2012-08-01 |archive-date=2010-09-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100904082116/http://www.mendosa.com/insulin_index.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In particular, since it is based on the area under the curve of the glucose response over time from ingesting a subject food, the shape of the curve has no bearing on the corresponding GI value. The glucose response can rise to a high level and fall quickly, or rise less high but remain there for a longer time, and have the same area under the curve.{{cn|date=January 2025}}