The Glycemic Index

How quickly do foods raise your blood sugar?   The glycemic index is a tool that measures how fast a particular food will raise your blood sugar. This can be useful for managing your blood sugar. For example, if your blood sugar is low or it is dropping during exercise, you would prefer to eat carbohydrates that raise your blood sugar quickly. On the other hand, if you want to keep your blood sugar from dropping during a few hours of mild activity, you might prefer to eat extra carbohydrate with a lower glycemic index and longer action time. And if your blood sugar tends to spike after breakfast, you would want to select a cold cereal that has a low glycemic index.

The numbers below are based on glucose, which is the fastest carbohydrate available except for maltose. Glucose is given a value of 100---other carbs are given a number relative to glucose. Faster carbs (higher numbers) are great for raising low blood sugars and for covering brief periods of intense exercise. Slower carbs (lower numbers) are helpful for preventing overnight drops in the blood sugar and for long periods of exercise. (Note: if you prefer to use white bread as your standard, simply multiply the numbers below by 1.42, i.e., glucose would have a glycemic index of 142.)

Note that these numbers are compiled from a wide range of research labs, and as often as possible from more than one study. These numbers will be close but may not be identical to other glycemic index lists. The impact a food will have on blood sugars depends on many other factors like ripeness, cooking time, fiber and fat content, time of day, blood insulin levels, and recent activity. Use the Glycemic Index as just one of the many tools you have available to improve your control.  

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BEANS

COOKIES

GRAINS

baby lima 32

oatmeal 55

barley 22

baked 43

shortbread 64

brown rice 59

black 30

Vanilla Wafers 77

buckwheat 54

brown 38

bulger 47

butter 31

cornmeal 68

chickpeas 33

CRACKERS

hominy 40

kidney 27

Kavli

millet 75

navy 38

Norwegian 71

rice, instant 91

pinto 42

rye 63

parboiled 47

red lentils 27

saltine 72

sweet corn 55

split peas 32

rice,

wheat, whole 41

soy 18

white rice 88

Angel Food

DESSERTS

wh. rice, high amylose 59

Cake 67

rye 34
BREADS

bran muffin 60

 

bagel 72

Danish 59

Kaiser roll 73

fruit bread 47

pita 57

pound cake 54

pumpernickel 49

sponge cake 46

rye 64

rye, whole 50

FRUIT

JUICES

white 72

apple 38

apple 41

whole wheat 72

apricot,

grapefruit 48

waffles 76

canned 64

orange 55

apricot, dried

pineapple 46

CEREALS

30

All Bran 44

banana 62

MILK PRODUCTS

Bran Chex 58

banana, unripe 30

chocolate milk 34

Cheerios 74

Corn Bran 75

cherries 22

ice cream 50

Corn Chex 83

fruit cocktail 55

milk 34

Cornflakes 83

yogurt 38

Cream of Wheat 66

grapefruit 25

Crispix 87

grapes 43

PASTA

Grapenuts 67

kiwi 52

brown rice

Grapenuts Flakes 80

mango 55

pasta 92

Life 66

orange 43

linguine,

Muesli 60

pear 36

durum 50

NutriGrain 66

pineapple 66

macaroni 46

Oatmeal 53

plum 24

macaroni &

Oatmeal 1 min 66

raisins 64

cheese 64

Puffed Wheat 74

strawberries

spaghetti 40

Puffed Rice 90

32

spag. prot.enrich. 28

watermelon 72

vermicelli 35

 

vermicelli,

rice 58

Rice Bran 19

Rice Chex 89

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Rice Krispies

82

Shredded Wheat

69

Special K 54

Swiss Muesli

60

Team 82

Total 76

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Courtesy of The Diabetes Mall (http://www.diabetesnet.com) (800) 988-4772