Glycemic load: summary table
Keen to follow a low-glycemic load diet? This table lists both the glycemic index and glycemic load of common foods in alphabetical order
Glycemic index and glycemic load
The glycemic index (GI) is a measure developed by doctors in the 1980s to evaluate the effect of foods on blood sugar levels, as part of efforts to combat diabetes. Basically, the more a food makes blood sugar levels rise, the higher its glycemic index (1).
This device allowed doctors to understand that not all carbohydrates are necessarily bad for diabetics: some carbohydrates (such as glucose and sucrose) are worse than others (such as fructose and starch).
With this knowledge, they were able to categorize foods according to their GI:
- below 55, a food is classed as low GI ;
- between 55 and 69, it is moderate GI;
- above 70, it is high GI.
However, there are two factors not taken into account by the glycemic index:
- the amount of carbohydrates a food contains;
- the the serving size normally consumed of that food.
Because of this, we now have the glycemic load: a new measure which allows a more precise evaluation of a food’s impact on blood sugar(2).
Glycemic load formula
To determine a food’s glycemic load, you multiply its glycemic index by the number of carbohydrates in an average serving of the food, then divide that by 100.
Let’s take the example of cornflakes:
- they have a GI of 80 ;
- a normal 30g serving contains around 25g of carbohydrates, so their glycemic load will be (25 x 80)/100 = 20.
What’s an appropriate daily glycemic load?
It is generally accepted that the daily glycemic load should be somewhere between 80 and 120. Anything above that is considered too high.
To arrive at this figure, you simply add together the glycemic load of all the different foods consumed during the day (using the amount actually consumed rather than that ‘normally’ consumed).
Glycemic index and glycemic load table
To help you, we’ve put together this table of the glycemic load and index of 50 common foods. As you’ll see, it’s the freshest, least refined and least processed foods which have the lowest glycemic load (3).
|
Food |
Carbohydrates per serving |
Glycemic index |
Glycemic load |
|
1. Apricots |
11 |
34 |
3.8 |
|
2. Apricots (dried) |
60 |
30 |
18 |
|
3. Bananas |
21 |
48 |
10 |
|
4. Wheat (cooked) |
90 |
35 |
32 |
|
5. Bulghur wheat |
76 |
55 |
42 |
|
6. Carrots (raw) |
20 |
23 |
2 |
|
7. Carrots (cooked) |
20 |
92 |
9 |
|
8. Cherries |
16 |
25 |
4 |
|
9. Chocolate (dark) |
30 |
23 |
7 |
|
10. Dates |
15 |
29 |
4 |
|
11. Dates (dried) |
35 |
40 |
14 |
|
12. Wholemeal flour T150 (wholemeal loaf) |
15 |
51 |
8 |
|
13. Wholemeal flour T55 (baguette) |
18 |
83 |
12 |
|
14. Wholemeal flour T65 (farmhouse loaf) |
15 |
85 |
13 |
|
15. Strawberries |
7.7 |
25 |
1.9 |
|
16. Gnocchi |
20 |
70 |
14 |
|
17. White beans (cooked) |
64 |
35 |
22.5 |
|
18. Kidney beans (cooked) |
53 |
35 |
18.5 |
|
19. French beans |
21.5 |
80 |
17.2 |
|
20. Kiwi fruit |
15 |
50 |
7.5 |
|
21. Lentils (cooked) |
50 |
25 |
12.5 |
|
22. Lychees |
15 |
50 |
7.6 |
|
23. Mangos |
15 |
56 |
8.5 |
|
24. Honey |
5 |
53 |
3 |
|
25. Muesli (plain) |
47 |
50 |
23.5 |
|
26. Nectarines |
12 |
35 |
4 |
|
27. Nuts |
7 |
15 |
1 |
|
28. Oranges |
12 |
35 |
4 |
|
29. Orange juice |
15 |
45 |
8 |
|
30. Grapefruit |
11 |
22 |
2.5 |
|
31. Watermelon |
7.5 |
75 |
5.5 |
|
32. Sweet potato (cooked) |
28 |
65 |
18.2 |
|
33. White pasta (cooked) |
40 |
60 |
25 |
|
34. Wholemeal pasta (cooked) |
40 |
50 |
20 |
|
35. Peaches |
11 |
35 |
4 |
|
36. Peas (cooked) |
15 |
9 |
1 |
|
37. Pears |
15.5 |
30 |
4.5 |
|
38. Split peas (cooked) |
22 |
22 |
5 |
|
39. Apples |
14 |
36 |
5 |
|
40. Apple juice |
11 |
41 |
4.5 |
|
41. Potato (cooked) |
21 |
95 |
20 |
|
42. Squash (cooked) |
7 |
65 |
4.5 |
|
43. Plums |
11 |
35 |
9 |
|
44. Quinoa (cooked) |
21 |
35 |
7.5 |
|
45. White grapes |
17 |
56 |
9.6 |
|
46. White rice |
80 |
70 |
56 |
|
47. Wholegrain rice |
80 |
50 |
28 |
|
48. Buckwheat |
44 |
50 |
22 |
|
49. Semolina |
70 |
60 |
42 |
|
50. Tomato juice |
4.2 |
35 |
1.5 |
Controlling your blood sugar
If you want to control your weight or indeed lose weight, it’s essential to monitor your blood sugar levels: the metabolism of glucose is a factor in weight gain, and especially fat mass gain.
This is because foods with a high glycemic load produce a spike in insulin, and insulin allows glucose to enter cells. Any excess glucose generated is then metabolized into fat cells called adipocytes.
The good news is there are several plants and natural remedies that can help to normalize the metabolism of sugars and thus regulate glycemia. The main ones are:
- banaba, a tropical shrub containing corosolic acid, a pentacyclic triterpene which transports glucose across the cell membrane (4-5) ;
- barberry, a semi-tropical shrub containing berberine, an alkaloid which promotes glucose metabolism and helps maintain normal glycemia (6);
- Gymnema sylvestris, an Ayurvedic plant containing gymnemic acid, which is believed to delay the absorption of glucose into the blood, thus helping to normalize sugar metabolism (7-8).
SuperSmart ADVICE
References
- WOLEVER, T. M. The glycemic index. World review of nutrition and dietetics, 1990, vol. 62, p. 120-185.
- VENN, B. J. et GREEN, T. J. Glycemic index and glycemic load: measurement issues and their effect on diet–disease relationships. European journal of clinical nutrition, 2007, vol. 61, no 1, p. S122-S131.
- FOSTER-POWELL, Kaye, HOLT, Susanna HA, et BRAND-MILLER, Janette C. International table of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2002. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 2002, vol. 76, no 1, p. 5-56.
- STOHS, Sidney J., MILLER, Howard, et KAATS, Gilbert R. A review of the efficacy and safety of banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa L.) and corosolic acid. Phytotherapy Research, 2012, vol. 26, no 3, p. 317-324.
- STOHS, Sidney J., MILLER, Howard, et KAATS, Gilbert R. A review of the efficacy and safety of banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa L.) and corosolic acid. Phytotherapy Research, 2012, vol. 26, no 3, p. 317-324.
- LI, Cheng, HE, Jin-Zhi, ZHOU, Xue-Dong, et al.Berberine regulates type 2 diabetes mellitus related with insulin resistance. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi= Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi= China journal of Chinese materia medica, 2017, vol. 42, no 12, p. 2254-2260.
- SHANMUGASUNDARAM, E. R. B., RAJESWARI, G., BASKARAN, K., et al.Use of Gymnema sylvestre leaf extract in the control of blood glucose in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 1990, vol. 30, no 3, p. 281-294.
- SANEJA, Ankit, SHARMA, Chetan, ANEJA, K. R., et al.Gymnema sylvestre (Gurmar): A review. Der Pharmacia Lettre, 2010, vol. 2, no 1, p. 275-284.
Keywords
1 Days
Solid
Fast, affordable, effective.
Buyer
2 Days
The supplements made an immediate…
The supplements made an immediate impact on my microbiome. I love it.
JOHNSON Stephen
3 Days
SUPERSMART WEIGHT LOSS BOOSTER
SUPERSMART IS A GREAT CO- MPANY, GREAT PRICES,IT'S SO VERY EASY TO GET A HOLD OF AND, I RECEIVED MY ORDER IN SUCH A VERY SHORT TIME,AND BECAUSE OF THAT,I AM ALREADY LOSING WEIGHT! IT'S MAKES FOR A GREAT DAY WHEN I WEIGH MY- SEF AND I FIND OUT THAT I HAVE LOST A COUPLE OF MORE PO- UNDS.I ALSO DO THE "SPEED UP YOUR METABOLISM TRICK",WH- ERE YOU DIET ONE DAY AND ARE OFF THE NEXT,AND YOU DRINK DIET GREEN TEA AND AND EAT "DIET TYPE " OF MEALS.IT DOES HELP.I ALSO TRY TO EAT FOODS THAT "BURN CALORIES" ON "DIET DAYS".
PERFUMO Irene L
3 Days
The package arrived in good condition
The package arrived in good condition. It is too soon to say how effective the S-Acetyl-Glutathione is as I have taken only 1 capsule.
WRIGHT Connie
6 Days
Great people
Great people, friendly, helpful and competent!
WHITEHILL Claude Steven
8 Days
Ease of ordering and customer service.
Ease of ordering and customer service.
CARTER Rhonda
13 Days
Good product
Good product, value and price. Arrived ahead of promise.
El Capt
15 Days
Excellent products
Excellent products. High quality and outstanding customer service! Thank you!
BUISSON Laurence
17 Days
Very quick shipping and…
Very quick shipping and deliveries.Customer service is also quite efficient.
Norman
26 Days
Fast shipping
Fast shipping, fair prices.
Yelgnit
26 Days
ABOVE & BEYOND
Great product, received in a timely manner…thank you
DOMINIC
27 Days
BUYING IN SUPER SMART IN U.S.
There were some problems buying a subsidiary in the U.S., but in the end, I did it!
MENDEZ TELLEZ GIRON Jose
27 Days
Amazing products
Amazing products ! I recommend 100%
BLASIAK Pierre
29 Days
They have what I need
I was able to buy a supplement that is very difficult to find in US, so it makes me happy! The website is easy to navigate. Fast and free shipping (over $25)
Eva
33 Days
Good all around service with a few…
Good all around service with a few hiccoughs.
PODLAHA Helmut