Which statement correctly defines glycemic load (GL) and explains the effect of portion size?

Which statement correctly defines glycemic load (GL) and explains the effect of portion size?

• A. GL is the same as glycemic index and is not affected by portion size.
• B. GL = glycemic index × grams of carbohydrate per serving, and larger portions increase GL.
• C. GL equals carbohydrates per serving divided by glycemic index.
• D. GL is a fixed value for each food regardless of serving size.

Answer: (B)

Glycemic load estimates how much a serving of food will raise blood glucose by combining two pieces: how quickly the carbs in the food raise glucose (glycemic index) and how many carbohydrates are in the portion. Because GL uses the actual amount of carbohydrate in the serving, it scales with portion size. In practice, you multiply the food’s glycemic index by the grams of carbohydrate in a serving (and divide by 100 in the standard formula), so bigger portions with more carbohydrate produce a higher GL. This is why GL reflects real-world impact, whereas glycemic index alone doesn’t change with how much you eat.

Glycemic load estimates how much a serving of food will raise blood glucose by combining two pieces: how quickly the carbs in the food raise glucose (glycemic index) and how many carbohydrates are in the portion. Because GL uses the actual amount of carbohydrate in the serving, it scales with portion size. In practice, you multiply the food’s glycemic index by the grams of carbohydrate in a serving (and divide by 100 in the standard formula), so bigger portions with more carbohydrate produce a higher GL. This is why GL reflects real-world impact, whereas glycemic index alone doesn’t change with how much you eat.