Developed in 1981, the glycemic index reflects the extent to which carbohydrate-containing foods raise a personâs blood sugar and subsequent need for insulin. The idea is that low glycemic foods are better for health, warding off diabetes and weight gain, because the carbs they contain are digested at a slower rate.The dogma out there is that a high glycemic index is bad,â said Dr. Robert Eckel, a past president of the American Heart Association and a professor at the University of Colorado, who was not involved in the research. âI hope that ultimately the glycemic index will be left on the shelf.â.