The glycemic index is a scale that relates to how quickly or slowly a given food will cause your blood glucose level to rise. Foods low on the glycemic index (GI) scale tend to cause a slow, steady rise in blood sugar. Meanwhile, foods high on the glycemic index cause more significant spikes in blood glucose levels.
Low GI foods tend to foster weight loss, while foods high on the GI scale may contribute to weight gain. That said, high GI foods can help with energy recovery after exercise or offset hypoglycemia. Long-distance runners and other endurance athletes favor foods that are high on the glycemic index for this reason. Conversely, diabetics and pre-diabetics should concentrate on low GI foods to help them control blood sugar.
The following chart provides GI levels for more than 60 foods as derived from a comprehensive analysis of more than 200 scholarly articles devoted to studying glucose and GI impact on human subjects. The studies used different baselines for their scale, with some using basic glucose and others using common foods like white bread or rice. For this chart, all values reflect glucose as a basis for scaled comparison.
| Food | Glycemic index score (scale of 0-100) |
|---|---|
| High-carbohydrate foods | |
| White wheat bread* | 75 ± 2 |
| Whole wheat/whole meal bread | 74 ± 2 |
| White rice, boiled* | 73 ± 4 |
| Unleavened wheat bread | 70 ± 5 |
| Brown rice, boiled | 68 ± 4 |
| Couscous† | 65 ± 4 |
| Wheat roti | 62 ± 3 |
| Udon noodles | 55 ± 7 |
| Rice noodles† | 53 ± 7 |
| Specialty grain bread | 53 ± 2 |
| Sweet corn | 52 ± 5 |
| Chapatti | 52 ± 4 |
| Spaghetti, white | 49 ± 2 |
| Spaghetti, whole meal | 48 ± 5 |
| Corn tortilla | 46 ± 4 |
| Barley | 28 ± 2 |
| Breakfast cereals | |
| Cornflakes | 81 ± 6 |
| Instant oat porridge | 79 ± 3 |
| Rice porridge/congee | 78 ± 9 |
| Wheat flake biscuits | 69 ± 2 |
| Millet porridge | 67 ± 5 |
| Muesli | 57 ± 2 |
| Porridge, rolled oats | 55 ± 2 |
| Fruit and fruit products | |
| Watermelon, raw | 76 ± 4 |
| Pineapple, raw | 59 ± 8 |
| Mango, raw† | 51 ± 5 |
| Banana, raw† | 51 ± 3 |
| Orange juice | 50 ± 2 |
| Strawberry jam/jelly | 49 ± 3 |
| Peaches, canned† | 43 ± 5 |
| Orange, raw† | 43 ± 3 |
| Dates, raw | 42 ± 4 |
| Apple juice | 41 ± 2 |
| Apple, raw† | 36 ± 2 |
| Vegetables | |
| Potato, instant mash | 87 ± 3 |
| Potato, boiled | 78 ± 4 |
| Pumpkin, boiled | 64 ± 7 |
| Sweet potato, boiled | 63 ± 6 |
| Potato, french fries | 63 ± 5 |
| Plantain/green banana | 55 ± 6 |
| Taro, boiled | 53 ± 2 |
| Vegetable soup | 48 ± 5 |
| Carrots, boiled | 39 ± 4 |
| Dairy products and alternatives | |
| Rice milk | 86 ± 7 |
| Ice cream | 51 ± 3 |
| Yogurt, fruit | 41 ± 2 |
| Milk, full fat | 39 ± 3 |
| Milk, skim | 37 ± 4 |
| Soy milk | 34 ± 4 |
| Legumes | |
| Lentils | 32 ± 5 |
| Chickpeas | 28 ± 9 |
| Kidney beans | 24 ± 4 |
| Soya beans | 16 ± 1 |
| Snack products | |
| Rice crackers/crisps | 87 ± 2 |
| Popcorn | 65 ± 5 |
| Soft drink/soda | 59 ± 3 |
| Potato crisps | 56 ± 3 |
| Chocolate | 40 ± 3 |
| Sugars | |
| Glucose | 103 ± 3 |
| Sucrose | 65 ± 4 |
| Honey | 61 ± 3 |
| Fructose | 15 ± 4 |
Data are means ± SEM.
* Low-GI varieties were also identified.
† Average of all available data.
Remember that glycemic index values are based on aggregated research, as individuals may respond with slight differences when exposed to the same foods. It’s also true that a wide range of variables influences the glucose content of natural foods; even two apples grown on the same tree and harvested simultaneously can have unequal distribution of sugar between them.
GI values are still helpful for anyone looking to maintain healthy blood sugar levels or provide targeted benefits in conjunction with exercise or the treatment of specific diseases. But both glycemic index and glycemic load information have their limits, and you should speak with your doctor about any drastic changes to your diet before you begin to experiment.