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Glycemic Index

This listing of foods is from the July 2002 issue of  the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It is the most complete listing available and includes a number of ethnic and international  foods. If you are a patient, welcome! I did this for you. See the index below to easily locate foods.

The glycemic index (GI) is  system for measuring how fast a carbohydrate triggers a rise in blood sugar. The higher the number, the greater the blood sugar response.  A GI is 70 or more is high, a GI is 56 to 69 is considered medium, and a GI of 55 or less is low.

Some food such as rice and carrots have a large range of GI values. This variation is caused by inherent botanical differences as well as preparation methods. There are no GI values given for meat, poultry, fish, avocadoes, cheese or eggs because these foods contain so little carbohydrate and are not likely to induce a significant rise in blood glucose. The only time a high glycemic index food is useful is during sporting events or to treat someone in a diabetic coma (too much insulin). Otherwise, even athletes should shoot for lower GI foods for the everyday diet, especially off-season.

A high glycemic load diet is associated with an increased risk of type II diabetes and coronary heart disease. Eating low glycemic foods is healthy because it may help prevent insulin resistance, syndrome X, the glycation of proteins (strongly associated accelerated aging), obesity, and  hypoglycemia. By avoiding a high glycemic load foods aging may be slowed and chronic disease averted. The popular diabetes diets also follow a low glycemic approach. If you have diabetes work with your doctor if you plan to begin eating low glycemic index food because your insulin dose may need to be lowered.

How to read the table
The GI index number indicates how fast a given food will cause a rise in blood sugar. Glucose is used as the benchmark or reference food and is given an arbitrary value of 100. The glycemic load (GL) is the product of the amount of available carbohydrate in the given food and the GI number of that food. Thus, the GL number gives you a good idea of the actual glycemic effect of realistic portion sizes. Each unit of dietary glycemic load represents the equivalent of 1 g carbohydrate from white bread or pure glucose. The lower the GL number the better for disease prevention

INDEX

BAKERY PRODUCTS
BEVERAGES
BREADS
BREAKFAST CEREALS AND RELATED PRODUCTS
BREAKFAST BARS
CEREAL GRAINS
COOKIES
CRACKERS
DAIRY PRODUCTS AND ALTERNATIVES
FRUIT AND FRUIT PRODUCTS
INFANT FORMULA AND WEANING FOODS
LEGUMES AND NUTS
MEAL REPLACEMENT PRODUCTS
MIXED MEALS AND CONVENIENCE FOODS
NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT PRODUCTS
PASTA AND NOODLES
SNACK FOODS AND CONFECTIONARY
NUTS
SPORTS BARS
SOUPS
SUGARS AND SUGAR ALCOHOLS
VEGETABLES
INDIGENOUS OR TRADITIONAL FOODS

SOURCE: Foster-Powell K. International table of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2002.Am J Clin Nutr. 2002 Jul;76(1):5-56.

Number  Food Item GI number Serving size (g) GL
BAKERY PRODUCTS
Cakes
1 Angel food cake  67 50 19
2 Banana cake, made with sugar 47±8 80 18
3 Banana cake, made without sugar 55±10 80 16
4 Chocolate cake made from packet mix with chocolate frosting (Betty Crocker, General Mills) 38±3 111 20
Pound cake (Sara Lee Canada, Bramalea, Canada) 54 53 15
Sponge cake, plain 46±6 63 17
Vanilla cake made from packet mix with vanilla frosting (Betty Crocker, USA) 42±4 111 24
Croissant (Food City, Toronto, Canada) 67 57 17
Crumpet (Dempster's Corporate Foods Ltd., Etobicoke, Canada) 69 50 13
Doughnut, cake type (Loblaw's, Canada) 76 47 17
Flan cake (Weston's Bakery, Toronto, Canada) 65 70 31
Muffins
Apple, made with sugar 44±6 60 13
Apple, made without sugar 48±10 60 9
Apricot, coconut and honey, made from packet mix (Defiance Milling Co., Australia) 60±4 50 16
Bran (Culinar Inc., Grandma Martin's Muffins, Aurora, Canada) 60 57 15
Blueberry (Culinar Inc., Canada) 59 57 17
Carrot (Culinar Inc., Canada) 62 57 20
Corn muffin, low-amylose 102 57 30
Corn muffin, high-amylose 49 NA
Oatmeal, muffin, made from mix (Quaker Oats Co. of Canada, Peterborough, Canada) 69 50 24
Pancakes, buckwheat, gluten-free, made from packet mix (Orgran Natural Foods, 102±11 77 22
Pastry 59±6 57 15
Scones, plain, made from packet mix (Defiance Milling Co., Australia) 92±8 25 7
Waffles, Aunt Jemima (Quaker Oats Co. of Canada) 76 35 10
BEVERAGES   GI Serving
Coca Cola ®  
Coca Cola®, soft drink (Coca Cola Amatil, Sydney, NSW, Australia) 53±7 250 14
Coca Cola®, soft drink/soda (Coca Cola Bottling Company, Atlanta, GA, USA) 63 250 16
mean of two types 58±5
Fanta®, orange soft drink (Coca Cola Amatil, Australia) 68±6 250 23
Smoothie, raspberry (Con Agra Inc., Omaha, NE, USA) 33±9 250 14
Juices
Apple juice
 Apple juice, unsweetened 40
 Apple juice, unsweetened (Allens, Toronto, Canada) 41
 mean of three studies 40±1 250 12
 Cranberry juice cocktail (Ocean Spray® Inc., Lakeville-Middleboro, MA, USA) 68±3 250 24
 Cranberry juice drink, Ocean Spray® (Gerber Ltd., Bridgewater, Somerset, UK) 56±4 250 16
 Grapefruit juice, unsweetened (Sunpac, Toronto, Canada) 48 250 11
 Orange juice   
 Orange Juice (Canada) 46±6
 Orange juice, unsweetened, reconstituted (Quelch®, Berri Ltd., Carlton, Vic, Australia) 53±6
 mean of two studies 50±4 250 13
 Pineapple juice, unsweetened (Dole Packaged Foods, Toronto, Canada) 46 250 16
Tomato juice, canned, no added sugar (Berri Ltd., Berri, SA, Australia)6 38±4 250 4
Sports drinks
Gatorade® (Spring Valley Beverages Pty Ltd., Cheltenham, Vic, Australia) 78±13 250 12
Drinks made from drinking mix powders
Complete Hot Chocolate mix made with hot water (Nestlé, Australia) 51±3 250 11
Malted milk powder in full-fat cow's milk (Nestlé, Australia) 45±3 250 12
Milo™ (chocolate nutrient-fortified drink powder)
Milo™ (Nestlé, Australia) dissolved in water 55±3 250 9
Milo™ (Nestlé, Auckland, New Zealand) dissolved in water 52±5 250 9
mean of two studies 54±2
Milo™ (Nestlé, Australia) dissolved in full-fat cow's milk 35±2 250 9
Milo™ (Nestlé, New Zealand) dissolved in full-fat cow's milk 36±3 250 9
mean of two studies 36±1
Nutrimeal™, meal replacement drink, Dutch Chocolate (Usana, Salt Lake City, UT, USA) 26±3 250 4
Quik™ (sweet drink powder)
Quik™, chocolate (Nestlé, Sydney, NSW, Australia), dissolved in water 53±5 250 4
Quik™, chocolate (Nestlé, Australia), dissolved in 1.5% fat milk 41±4 250 5
Quik™, strawberry (Nestlé, Australia), dissolved in water 64±8 250 5
Quik™, strawberry (Nestlé, Australia), dissolved in 1.5% fat milk 35±3 250
BREADS  
Bagel, white, frozen (Lender's Bakery, Montreal, Canada) 72 70 25
Baguette, white, plain (France) 95±15 30 15
French baguette with chocolate spread (France) 72±8 70 27
French baguette with butter and strawberry jam (France) 62±7 70 26
Pain au lait (Pasquier, France) 63±10 60 20
Bread stuffing, Paxo (Campbell Soup Co Ltd., Toronto, Canada) 74 30 16
Barley Breads
Coarse barley kernel bread, 75-80% kernels
75% kernels 27 30 5
80% scalded intact kernels (20% white wheat flour) 34 30 7
80% intact kernels (20% white wheat flour) 40 30 8
mean of three studies 34±4
Barley kernel bread, 50% kernels
50% kernels (Canada) 43 30 9
50% kibbled barley (Australia) 48 30 10
mean of two studies 46±2 30 9
Barley flour breads
100% barley flour (Canada); (rye bread composition) 67 30 9
Wholemeal barley flour (80%) bread (20% white wheat flour) (Sweden) 67 30 13
Wholemeal barley bread, flat, thin, soft 50 30 7
(50% regular barley flour, 50% high-fibre barley flour) (Sweden)
Wholemeal barley bread, flat, thin, soft 43 30 5
(20% regular barley flour, 80% high-fibre barley flour) (Sweden)
Wholemeal barley flour (80%) and white wheat flour (20%) breads -
fermented or with added organic acids or salts (Sweden)
Wholemeal barley flour bread (used as reference for the 5 breads below) 70 30 14
Wholemeal barley flour bread with sourdough (lactic acid) 53 30 10
Wholemeal barley flour bread with lactic acid 66 30 12
Wholemeal barley flour bread with calcium lactate 59 30 12
Wholemeal barley flour bread with sodium propionate5 65 30 13
Wholemeal barley flour bread with higher dose sodium propionate 57 30 11
Buckwheat bread
Buckwheat bread, 50% dehusked buckwheat groats and 50% white wheat flour (Sweden) 47 30 10
Fruit Breads
Continental fruit loaf, wheat bread with dried fruit (Australia) 47±6 30 7
Happiness™ (cinnamon, raisin, pecan bread) (Natural Ovens, Mannitowoc, WI, USA) 63±5 30 9
Muesli bread, made from packet mix in bread making machine (Con Agra Inc., USA) 54±6 30 7
Hamburger bun (Loblaw's, Toronto, Canada) 61 30 9
Kaiser rolls (Loblaw's, Canada) 73 30 12
Melba toast, Old London (Best Foods Canada Inc., Etobicoke, Canada) 70 30 16
Gluten-free bread
Gluten-free white bread, unsliced (gluten-free wheat starch) (UK) 71 30 11
Gluten-free white bread, sliced (gluten-free wheat starch) (UK) 80 30 12
mean of two studies 76±5 30 11
Gluten-free fiber-enriched, unsliced (gluten-free wheat starch, soya bran) (UK) 69 30 9
Gluten-free fiber-enriched, sliced (gluten-free wheat starch, soya bran) (UK) 76 30 10
mean of two studies 73±4 30 9
Oat Bread
Coarse oat kernel bread, 80% intact oat kernels and 20% white wheat flour (Sweden) 65 30 12
Oat bran bread
50% oat bran (Australia) 44 30 8
45% oat bran and 50% wheat flour (Sweden) 50 30 9
mean of two studies 47±3 30 9
Rice bread
Rice bread, low-amylose Calrose rice (Pav's Allergy Bakery, Ingleburn, NSW, Australia) 72±9 30 8
Rice bread, high-amylose Doongara rice (Pav's Allergy Bakery, Australia) 61±9 30 7
Rye Bread
Rye kernel (pumpernickel) bread
Coarse rye kernel bread, 80% intact kernels and 20% white wheat flour (Sweden) 41 30 5
Rye kernel bread (Pumpernickel) (Canada) 41 30 5
Wholegrain pumpernickel (Holtzheuser Brothers Ltd., Toronto, Canada) 46 30 5
Rye kernel bread, Pumpernickel (80% kernels) (Canada) 55 30 7
Cocktail, sliced (Kasselar Food Products, Toronto, Canada) 55 30 7
Cocktail, sliced (Kasselar Food Products, Canada) 62 30 8
mean of six studies 50±4 30 6
Wholemeal rye bread
Wholemeal rye bread (Canada) 41
Wholemeal rye bread (Canada) 62
Wholemeal rye bread (Canada) 63
Wholemeal rye bread (Canada) 66
mean of four studies 58±6 30 8
Specialty rye breads
Blackbread, Riga (Berzin's Specialty Bakery, Sydney, NSW, Australia) 76±14 30 10
Klosterbrot wholemeal rye bread (Dimpflmeier Bakery Ltd., Canada) 67 30 9
Light rye (Silverstein's Bakery, Toronto, Canada) 68 30 10
Linseed rye (Rudolph's Specialty Bakery Ltd., Toronto, Canada) 55 30 7
Sourdough rye (Canada) 57
Sourdough rye  (Australia) 48
mean of two studies 53±5 30 6
Volkornbrot, wholemeal rye bread (Dimpflmeier Bakery Ltd., Canada) 56 30 7
Wheat Breads
Coarse wheat kernel bread, 80% intact kernels and 20% white wheat flour (Sweden) 52 30 10
Cracked wheat kernel (bulgur) bread
50% cracked wheat kernel (Canada) 58 30 12
75% cracked wheat kernels (Canada) 48 30 10
mean of two studies 53±3 30 11
Spelt wheat breads
White spelt wheat bread (Slovenia) 74 30 17
Wholemeal spelt wheat bread (Slovenia) 63 30 12
Scalded spelt wheat kernel bread (Slovenia) 67 30 15
Spelt multigrain bread® (Pav's bakery, Australia) 54±10 30 7
White wheat flour bread
White flour (Canada) 69±5 30 10
White flour  (USA) 70 30 10
White flour, Sunblest™ (Tip Top Bakeries, Australia) 70 30 10
White flour (Dempster's Corporate Foods Ltd., Canada) 71 30 10
White flour  (South Africa) 71±7 30 9
White flour (Canada) 71 30 10
mean of six studies 70±0 30 10
White wheat flour bread, hard, toasted (Italian) 73 30 11
Wonder™, enriched white bread (Interstate Brands Companies, Kansas City, MO, USA) 71±9
Wonder™, enriched white bread (Interstate Brands Companies, USA) 72±4
Wonder™, enriched white bread (Interstate Brands Companies, USA) 77±3
mean of three studies 73±2 30 10
mean of two studies 68±1 30 9
Wholemeal (whole wheat) wheat flour bread
Wholemeal flour (Canada) 52 30 6
Wholemeal flour (Canada) 64 30 8
Wholemeal flour (Canada) 65 30 8
Wholemeal flour (Canada) 67 30 8
Wholemeal flour (Canada) 67 30 8
Wholemeal flour (Canada) 69 30 8
Wholemeal flour (Canada) 71 30 8
Wholemeal flour (Canada) 72±6 30 8
Wholemeal flour (USA) 73 30 10
Wholemeal flour (South Africa) 75±9 30 9
Specialty wheat breads
English Muffin™ bread (Natural Ovens, USA) 77±7 30 11
Healthy Choice™ Hearty 7 Grain (Con Agra Inc., USA) 55±6 30 8
Healthy Choice™ Hearty 100% Whole Grain (Con Agra Inc., USA) 62±6 30 9
Hunger Filler™, whole grain bread (Natural Ovens, USA) 59±8 30 7
Nutty Natural™, whole grain bread (Natural Ovens, USA) 59±7 30 7
Semolina Bread (Kenya) 64
Soy & Linseed bread (made from packet mix in bread maker) (Con Agra Inc., USA) 50±6 30 5
Stay Trim™, whole grain bread (Natural Ovens, USA) 70±10 30 10
Whole-wheat snack bread (Ryvita Co Ltd., Poole, Dorset, UK) 74 30 16
100% Whole Grain™ bread (Natural Ovens, USA) 51±11 30 7
White wheat flour flatbread (Sweden) 79 30 13
Unleavened Breads
Lebanese bread, white (Seda Bakery, Sydney, NSW, Australia) 75±9 30 12
Middle Eastern flatbread 97±29 30 15
Pita bread, white (Canada) 57 30 10
Wheat flour flatbread  (India) 66±9 30 10
Amaranth : wheat (25:75) composite flour flatbread (India) 66±10 30 10
Amaranth : wheat (50:50) composite flour flatbread (India) 76±20 30 11
BREAKFAST CEREALS AND RELATED PRODUCTS  
All-Bran™  (high-fiber, extruded wheat bran cereal)  
All-Bran™ (Kellogg's, Pagewood, NSW, Australia) 30 30 4
All-Bran™ (Kellogg's, Battle Creek, MI, USA) 38 30 9
All-Bran™ (Kellogg's Inc., Etobicoke, Canada) 50 30 9
All-Bran™ (Kellogg's Inc., Canada) 51±5 30 9
mean of four studies 42±5
Barley porridge  
Wholemeal barley flour porridge (100% regular barley) 68 50 (dry) 23
(flour:water = 1:3), boiled 2.5 min (Sweden)  
Wholemeal high-fibre barley flour porridge 55 50 (dry) 8
(50% regular barley flour: 50% high-fibre barley flour) (Sweden)  
Barley porridge made from steamed thin (0.5 mm) dehulled barley flakes (Sweden) 62 50 (dry) 17
Barley porridge made from steamed thick (1.0 mm) dehulled barley flakes (Sweden) 65 50 (dry) 18
Bran Buds™ (Kellogg's Inc., Canada)15 58 30 7
Bran Buds with psyllium (Kellogg's Inc., Canada) 47 30 6
Bran Chex™ (Nabisco Brands Ltd., Toronto, Canada) 58 30 11
Bran Flakes™ (Kellogg's, Australia) 74 30 13
Cheerios™ (General Mills Inc., Etobicoke, Canada)15 74 30 15
Chocapic™ (Nestlé, France) 84±9 30 21
Coco Pops™ (cocoa flavoured puffed rice)  
Coco Pops™ (Kellogg's, Australia) 77±8
Coco Pops™ (Kellogg's, Australia) 77±3
mean of two studies 77 30 20
Corn Bran™ (Quaker Oats Co. of Canada, Peterborough, Canada)15 75 30 15
Corn Chex™ (Nabisco Brands Ltd., Canada)15 83 30 21
Cornflakes™   
Cornflakes™ (Kellogg's, Auckland, New Zealand) 72±16 30 18
Cornflakes™ (Kellogg's, Australia) 77 30 20
Cornflakes™ (Kellogg's Inc., Canada) 80±6 30 21
Cornflakes™ (Kellogg's Inc., Canada) 86 30 22
Cornflakes™ (Kellogg's, USA)5 92 30 24
mean of five studies 81±3 30 21
Cornflakes, high-fiber (Presidents Choice, Sunfresh Ltd., Toronto, Canada) 74 30 17
Cornflakes, Crunchy Nut™ (Kellogg's, Australia) 72±4 30 17
Corn Pops™ (Kellogg's, Australia) 80±4 30 21
Cream of Wheat™ (Nabisco Brands Ltd., Canada)15 66 250 17
Cream of Wheat™, Instant (Nabisco Brands Ltd., Canada)15 74 250 22
Crispix™ (Kellogg's Inc., Canada)15 87 30 22
Energy Mix™ (Quaker, France) 80±7 30 19
Froot Loops™ (Kellogg's, Australia) 69±9 30 18
Frosties™, sugar-coated cornflakes (Kellogg's, Australia) 55 30 15
Fruitful Lite™ (Hubbards, Auckland, New Zealand) 61±20 30 12
Fruity-Bix™, berry (Sanitarium, Auckland, New Zealand) 113±10 30 25
Golden Grahams™ (General Mills Inc., Canada) 71 30 18
Golden Wheats™ (Kellogg's, Australia) 71±8 30 16
Grapenuts™   
Grapenuts™ (Post, Kraft General Foods Inc., Toronto, Canada) 67 30 13
Grapenuts™ (Kraft Foods Inc., Port Chester, NY, USA) 75±6 30 16
mean of two studies 71±4 30 15
Grapenuts™ Flakes (Post, Kraft General Foods Inc., Canada)15 80 30 17