The glycemic index of black beans depends on how they are prepared. If you soak and boil black beans, the average glycemic index is 20.
1. What is the glycemic index (GI)?
The glycemic index (GI) is a value used to measure how much specific foods increase blood sugar levels.
Foods are classified as low, medium, or high glycemic foods and ranked on a scale of 0–100.
The lower the GI of a specific food, the less it may affect your blood sugar levels. Here are the three GI ratings:
Low: 55 or less
Medium: 56–69
High: 70 or above
Foods high in refined carbs and sugar are digested more quickly and often have a high GI, while foods high in protein, fat, or fiber typically have a low GI. Foods that contain no carbs are not assigned a GI and include meat, fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, and oils.
Several factors influence the glycemic index of a food, including its nutrient composition, cooking method, ripeness, and the amount of processing it has undergone.
The glycemic index can not only help increase your awareness of what you’re putting on your plate but also enhance weight loss, decrease your blood sugar levels, and reduce your cholesterol.
Keep in mind that the glycemic index is different from the glycemic load (GL).
Unlike the GI, which doesn’t take into account the amount of food eaten, the GL factors in the number of carbs in a serving of a food to determine how it may affect blood sugar levels.
For this reason, it’s important to take both the glycemic index and glycemic load into consideration when selecting foods to help support healthy blood sugar levels.
2. Glycemic index of black beans
Where a carbohydrate food falls on the glycemic index indicates how much it will raise your blood sugar. This is particularly important if you have diabetes, as your body’s ability to manage the amount of sugar in your blood is impaired. Although carbohydrate counting is a more effective way to plan meals and manage your glucose levels, the glycemic index can help you fine-tune your carb intake, reports the American Diabetes Association.
If a food has a low GI – less than 55 — it will affect your blood sugar less than a medium or high food will.
Black beans are rich in carbohydrates and they are also and excellent source of fiber (both soluble and insoluble). Black beans also do not contain sugar. Instead, they have slowly-digested carbohydrates and resistant starch.
This means that the carbohydrates in black beans are slowly converted to glucose, and some are not digested at all.
The glycemic index of a food is an indicator of how much the food may affect your blood glucose level. The glycemic index of black beans depends on how they are prepared. If you soak and boil black beans, the average glycemic index is 20, which is moderately low. If you cook them with a pressure cooker or use canned beans, the glycemic index is approximately 30, which is also moderately low.
The glycemic load (GL) takes into account both the glycemic index and the serving size. A serving of 1/2 cup cooked black beans has a glycemic load of 7, which is considered low.
3. Health benefits of black beans
Blood Sugar Regulation
Unlike many other foods that are high in carbohydrates, black beans don’t cause a spike in blood sugar. Studies have actually found the opposite. When people eat black beans with rice, their blood sugar levels tend to be lower than if they only ate rice. For people with diabetes, adding beans to a healthy diet can improve blood sugar control while reducing heart disease risk.
Lowering Blood Pressure
Maintaining a low sodium intake is essential to keeping blood pressure in the normal range. The sodium content in natural black beans is quite low, and at the same time contains a number of other minerals: contains potassium, calcium and magnesium, all of which are effective in reducing blood pressure for people with blood pressure. high. Make sure to buy canned foods that are low in sodium and still drain and rinse to further reduce the sodium content.
Cancer Prevention
The mineral element selenium is low or absent in most fruits and vegetables but can be found in black beans. Black beans play a role in the function of liver enzymes and help detoxify certain cancer-causing compounds in the body. In addition, selenium also has the ability to prevent inflammation and reduce the rate of tumor growth. Saponins are known for their ability to prevent cancer cells from multiplying and spreading throughout the body. Getting fiber from fresh fruits and vegetables or like black beans has been linked to a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. In addition, black beans contain a fairly rich content of folate, which plays a role in DNA synthesis and repair, thus preventing the formation of cancer cells caused by DNA mutations.
Read more: Black beans nutrition facts and health benefits that you need know