And some foods with low GI values may not be good sources of nutrients. The GI value of any food item depends on many factors. It matters how the food is prepared and how it is processed.

Also, there can be a range in GI values for the same foods. So the values may not be reliable for all food choices. If you follow a low-GI diet, your foods with carbs are mostly limited to choices with low values.

You usually will avoid foods with high values. Examples of foods with low, middle and high GI values are:. Commercial low-GI diets may refer to foods as having slow carbs or fast carbs. This is because foods with a low GI value are digested and absorbed over a longer time.

Foods with high values are absorbed over a shorter time. Studies of low-GI diets have shown varied results. In general, they have shown a low-GI diet may be helpful for:. Researchers have noted the benefit of the diet may be linked to the nutrient-rich foods and high-fiber foods in the studies.

The overall nutritional quality of the food may be more important than the GI value of each food item. Following a low-GI diet may help you lose weight or keep a healthy weight. It may help you manage a diabetes plan. It may lower your risk of diabetes and heart and blood vessel diseases.

The glycemic index also could be one tool, rather than the main tool, to help you make healthier food choices. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends a focus on healthy dietary patterns and nutrient-rich foods. A healthy dietary pattern means making consistently healthy choices over time.

Foods that fit in that pattern vary. They include a variety of fruits and vegetables that provide vitamins, minerals and fiber. A healthy dietary pattern also includes whole-grain foods that are high in fiber and other nutrients. Beans, legumes, fish, low-fat dairy and lean meats are also good choices.

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Show references Liu S, et al. Dietary carbohydrates. Accessed Sept. American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee.

Facilitating behavior change and well-being to improve health outcomes: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes — Diabetes Care. Zeratsky KA expert opinion. Mayo Clinic. Chiavaroli L, et al. Effect of low glycaemic index or load dietary patterns on glycaemic control and cardiometabolic risk factors in diabetes: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Dwivedi AK, et al. Associations of glycemic index and glycemic load with cardiovascular disease: Updated evidence from meta-analysis and cohort studies. Current Cardiology Reports. Ni C, et al. Low-glycemic index diets as an intervention in metabolic diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Glycemic index. University of Sydney. FoodData Central. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Glycemic index food guide.

Diabetes Canada. Sievenpiper JL. Low-carbohydrate diets and cardiometabolic health: The importance of carbohydrate quality over quantity. Nutrition Reviews. Department of Health and Human Services and U.

Department of Agriculture. December Products and Services The Mayo Clinic Diet Online A Book: The Mayo Clinic Diet Bundle A Book: Cook Smart, Eat Well A Book: Mayo Clinic on Digestive Health. See also Butter vs. margarine Caffeine content Clear liquid diet DASH diet DASH diet: Recommended servings Sample DASH menus Diverticulitis attack triggers Diverticulitis diet Eggs and cholesterol Enlarged prostate: Does diet play a role?

Fasting diet: Can it improve my heart health? Gluten sensitivity and psoriasis: What's the connection? Gluten-free diet Gout diet: What's allowed, what's not Intermittent fasting Low-fiber diet Mediterranean diet Paleo diet Picnic Problems: High Sodium Nutrition and pain Vegetarian diet Water after meals What is meant by the term "heart age"?

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Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Permanent link Page information Cite this page Get shortened URL Download QR code Wikidata item. Download as PDF Printable version. Estimate of how a quantity of food will raise a blood glucose level.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. March Diabetic diet Disposition index Glycemic index Glycemic efficacy Low glycemic index diet Montignac diet Overall nutritional quality index. Glycemic Research Institute. Archived from the original on 27 September Retrieved 8 February April American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

doi : PMID May Journal of the American Medical Association. Archives of Internal Medicine. Adrienne; Palmer, Julie R. The Nutrition Source. Harvard School of Public Health.

University of Sydney. Am J Clin Nutr. JAMA Intern Med. Diabetes Care. J Am Coll Nutr. S2CID Brand; Petocz, Peter November The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The glycemic load counter : a pocket guide to GL and GI values for over foods.

Berkeley, CA. ISBN OCLC Human Nutrition Unit; School of Molecular Bioscience. International GI database.

Processed foods such as candy, breads, cake, and cookies have a high GI, while whole foods such as unrefined grains, non-starchy vegetables, and fruits tend to have a lower GI. Carbohydrates with a low GI value are digested, absorbed, and metabolized more slowly than their high-GI counterparts.

They typically cause a lower and slower rise in blood glucose and, subsequently, insulin levels as well. Foods that are primarily fat or protein are not included in the index because they have a minimal impact on blood sugar levels. The GI values can be broken down into three ranges.

Food with a low GI is a food that won't raise your blood sugar as much as a food with a medium or high GI. The following charts highlight low, medium, and high GI foods based on data from the American Diabetes Association. Glycemic index values were developed by a rigorous testing process using 10 or more people for each food.

Researchers measured blood sugar levels of healthy volunteers before and two-hours after eating 50 grams of the same digestible carbohydrate the test food. The points were then plotted on a graph and researchers determined the area under the curve AUC of their glucose response.

At a separate date, the same 10 people consumed 50 grams of pure glucose the reference food , and researchers again measured each person's glucose response AUC two hours after consumption.

The GI value of the test food is then calculated by dividing the glucose AUC for the test food by that of the reference food for each person. The final GI value is an average of those 10 numbers. Ultimately, the GI value is the average person's blood sugar response to a specific carbohydrate.

Individual responses may vary based on other factors including other foods eaten in combination with the carbohydrate.

Since it's the carbohydrates in food that raise blood sugar, understanding GI can help you figure out which foods are best for glucose management.

Among the benefits of following the GI list when planning your meals:. Critics of the GI system note it has several flaws that can make it an unreliable measurement.

GI looks strictly at the carb count. Basing a diet around GI only means you would be ignoring a lot of other helpful information to determine the true health value of a food. The GI index doesn't take into account:. For example, eating an apple on its own may result in a different blood glucose response than if you ate it with some peanut butter.

Protein and fat can delay carbohydrate metabolism and, therefore, result in a slower blood sugar rise. To counteract some of the issues with glycemic index, researchers developed the glycemic load GL measurement.

Unlike GI, GL accounts for the quantity of the food being eaten. The main difference between GI and GL is:. Glycemic load is calculated by multiplying the GI value by the number of carbohydrates in grams per serving, then dividing that number by For example, an apple has a GI of 40 and contains 15 grams of carbs.

In theory, foods with a low GI would also have a low GL, but that isn't always the case. Research from the International Carbohydrate Quality Consortium ICQC suggests that glycemic load is a more reliable indicator of how a particular carbohydrate affects blood sugar. Like GI values, GL values can also be broken down into three ranges:.

Some foods fall under the same category for both glycemic index and glycemic load. For example, apples and oranges are both low GI and low GL, while cornflakes and boiled potatoes have both high GI and high GL. But for other foods, the glycemic index and glycemic load are different.

For example, bananas have a low GI but a medium GL and dates have a low GI and a high GL. A food that perhaps best highlights the difference between glycemic index and glycemic load is spaghetti.

Both whole grain spaghetti and spaghetti made from white flour are considered low GI 48 and 49, respectively.

However, whole wheat spaghetti has a medium GL 14 while regular, white flour spaghetti has a high GL The following charts highlight low, medium, and high GL foods based on data from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.

The American Diabetes Association states that carbohydrate amount grams of carbohydrates and available insulin may be the most important factors influencing blood sugar response after eating and should be considered when developing an eating plan. The most reliable way to assess how your body is affected by certain foods is to test your blood sugar two hours after a meal or use a continuous glucose monitoring system.

If you are not sure of what your target blood sugar should be, discuss it with your physician. Paying attention to the glycemic index of foods can be a useful method to help avoid sudden spikes in blood sugar. You might try using the glycemic index along with lifestyle changes, like exercise and eating balanced meals, to find what works best for you.

The glycemic index GI is a measure of how much the carbohydrates in a food affect blood sugar. Since foods like meat and butter don't contain carbohydrates, they are not included.

Some good food choices low on the glycemic index include most vegetables and fruits, nuts, minimally processed grains, and pasta both regular and whole grain.

A low GI is considered 55 or less. Some foods high on the glycemic index include white bread, potatoes, and white rice. This is due to these foods containing a lot of starches, which are rapidly broken down by the body to cause a rise in blood glucose.

For this reason, many processed foods or soft drinks are also high on the GI. Glycemic Index Foundation. About the glycemic index. What is low GI? Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC.

International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: Diabetes Care. The University of Sydney. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes meal planning. Willett W, Liu S. Carbohydrate quality and health: distilling simple truths from complexity. Am J Clin Nutr. Augustin LSA, Kendall CWC, Jenkins DJA, et al.

Glycemic index, glycemic load and glycemic response: An International Scientific Consensus Summit from the International Carbohydrate Quality Consortium ICQC.

Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. Glycemic Load. Oregon State University: Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you.

If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices.

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Sections Basics Nutrition basics Healthy diets Healthy cooking Healthy menus and shopping strategies Nutritional supplements In-Depth Expert Answers Multimedia Resources News From Mayo Clinic What's New. Products and services. Low-glycemic index diet: What's behind the claims?

By Mayo Clinic Staff. Thank you for subscribing! Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry. Show references Liu S, et al.

Dietary carbohydrates. Accessed Sept. American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. Facilitating behavior change and well-being to improve health outcomes: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes — Diabetes Care.

Zeratsky KA expert opinion. Mayo Clinic. Chiavaroli L, et al. Effect of low glycaemic index or load dietary patterns on glycaemic control and cardiometabolic risk factors in diabetes: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Dwivedi AK, et al.

Associations of glycemic index and glycemic load with cardiovascular disease: Updated evidence from meta-analysis and cohort studies.

Current Cardiology Reports. Ni C, et al. Low-glycemic index diets as an intervention in metabolic diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Glycemic index. University of Sydney. FoodData Central. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.

Glycemic index food guide. Diabetes Canada. Sievenpiper JL. Low-carbohydrate diets and cardiometabolic health: The importance of carbohydrate quality over quantity. Nutrition Reviews. Department of Health and Human Services and U. Department of Agriculture.

December Products and Services The Mayo Clinic Diet Online A Book: The Mayo Clinic Diet Bundle A Book: Cook Smart, Eat Well A Book: Mayo Clinic on Digestive Health.

See also Butter vs. margarine Caffeine content Clear liquid diet DASH diet DASH diet: Recommended servings Sample DASH menus Diverticulitis attack triggers Diverticulitis diet Eggs and cholesterol Enlarged prostate: Does diet play a role? Fasting diet: Can it improve my heart health?

Gluten sensitivity and psoriasis: What's the connection? Gluten-free diet Gout diet: What's allowed, what's not Intermittent fasting Low-fiber diet Mediterranean diet Paleo diet Picnic Problems: High Sodium Nutrition and pain Vegetarian diet Water after meals What is meant by the term "heart age"?

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The higher the GI, the greater the effect on blood sugar levels. Foods without a GI value or with a very low GI can also be enjoyed as part of a balanced low glycemic diet.

They include:. Following a low glycemic diet involves swapping out foods that have a high GI with low GI alternatives. A low glycemic diet may help manage blood sugar levels, reduce your cholesterol, and boost short-term weight loss. Here are the GI values for a few ingredients 9 , 10 :.

Knowing where your favorite foods fall on the glycemic index can make it much easier to follow a low glycemic diet.

For example, fried foods tend to contain a high amount of fat, which can slow the absorption of sugar in the bloodstream and decrease the GI 11 , Meanwhile, roasting and baking can break down resistant starch — a type of starch that resists digestion and is commonly found in foods like legumes, potatoes, and oats — thus increasing the GI 11 , Conversely, boiling is thought to help retain more of the resistant starch and lead to a lower GI, compared with other cooking methods The longer you cook foods like pasta or rice, the greater the digestibility of their starch content, and thus the higher their GI.

In addition to the cooking method used, the degree of ripeness may also affect the GI of some fruits, including bananas. This is because the amount of resistant starch decreases during the ripening process, leading to a higher GI 2. For example, bananas that are fully ripened have a GI of 51, whereas under-ripe bananas have a GI of just 30 The degree of ripeness, as well as the way that certain foods are cooked and prepared, can affect the GI of the final product.

The glycemic index, or GI, is a measure used to determine how much a food can affect your blood sugar levels. Several factors affect the glycemic index of a food, including the nutrient composition, ripeness, cooking method, and amount of processing it has undergone.

Following a low glycemic diet may offer several health benefits, as it could help balance your blood sugar levels, reduce liver fat, and increase short-term weight loss. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

VIEW ALL HISTORY. The glycemic index can help people with diabetes decide which fruits and vegetables to include in their diet. This article helps determine the glycemic…. An international database is run by the Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service in Sydney, Australia.

The database shows the results of food studies from around the world. A basic overview of carbohydrates and blood sugar is helpful for understanding low-GI diets. Carbohydrates, also called carbs, are a type of nutrient in foods.

The three basic forms are sugars, starches and fiber. Your body breaks down the sugars and starches from carbs. They end up as a type of sugar called glucose. This sugar passes into the bloodstream and is the main source of energy for cells in your body.

Fiber passes through your body undigested. Two main hormones from the pancreas help control glucose in the bloodstream.

The hormone insulin moves glucose from the blood into the cells. The hormone glucagon helps release glucose stored in the liver when blood sugar levels are low. This process helps keep the body fueled and blood sugar in balance.

The glycemic index ranks the effect food has on blood sugar levels. A low-GI diet suggests foods that have low GI values. The categories are:. In order to assign a rank, also called a GI value, researchers usually compare the effect of eating a food with the effect of eating sugar on blood sugar levels.

Sometimes the comparison is made with eating white bread. For example, to test the GI value of cantaloupe, 10 or more healthy people eat enough cantaloupe to digest 50 grams of total carbohydrates.

That is about one medium cantaloupe for each person. Over the next two hours, their blood sugar levels are tested several times. On another day, the same 10 people eat or drink 50 grams 12 teaspoons of sugar.

Again, their blood sugar levels are tested several times over two hours. The researchers compare the results of eating sugar with eating cantaloupe to rank the effect of eating cantaloupe. The GI value for cantaloupe is 65 to The glycemic index doesn't consider how much of a food you are likely to eat during a meal.

For example, you likely wouldn't eat a whole medium-sized cantaloupe at once. To focus on this problem, researchers developed the idea of glycemic load GL. This number shows the effect on blood sugar levels when you eat a common portion of the food.

For example, you might eat one-third of a medium-sized cantaloupe during one meal. The GL value for that much cantaloupe is around 11 or lower. Sydney University's table of GI values also includes GL values. The GL values are divided into:. A GI value tells you nothing about other nutritional information.

For example, cantaloupe has a medium to high GI score and a medium GL score. But it is a good source of vitamin C, beta carotene and other important nutrients.

Whole milk has a low GI value and a low GL value. But it's high in fats and calories. So it may not a good choice for losing or controlling weight. The published GI database is not a complete list of foods. Instead, it's a list of foods that have been studied.

Many nutritious foods with low GI values may not be in the database. The list also includes highly processed foods which may be less nutritious than unprocessed foods.

And some foods with low GI values may not be good sources of nutrients. The GI value of any food item depends on many factors. It matters how the food is prepared and how it is processed. Also, there can be a range in GI values for the same foods.

So the values may not be reliable for all food choices. If you follow a low-GI diet, your foods with carbs are mostly limited to choices with low values. You usually will avoid foods with high values.

Examples of foods with low, middle and high GI values are:. Commercial low-GI diets may refer to foods as having slow carbs or fast carbs. This is because foods with a low GI value are digested and absorbed over a longer time.

Foods with high values are absorbed over a shorter time. Studies of low-GI diets have shown varied results. In general, they have shown a low-GI diet may be helpful for:. We included only one study from the previous version of this review, following a revision of inclusion criteria.

We listed five studies as 'awaiting classification' and one study as 'ongoing'. One study included children 50 participants ; one study included adults aged over 65 years 24 participants ; the remaining studies included adults participants. The duration of the interventions varied from eight weeks to 18 months.

All trials had an unclear or high risk of bias across several domains. Two studies assessing adverse events did not report any adverse events; we judged this outcome to have very low-certainty evidence. No studies reported on all-cause mortality. Two adverse events were reported in one study: one was not related to the intervention, and the other, an eating disorder, may have been related to the intervention.

Another study reported 11 adverse events, including hypoglycaemia following an oral glucose tolerance test. The same study reported seven serious adverse events, including kidney stones and diverticulitis.

We judged this outcome to have low-certainty evidence.