Blank

Low Glycemic Index

This page was last updated: February 16, 2010

Disclaimer

FoodInformantOnline.com provides information from current research noted in medical journals in respect to nutrition and health for the general public. The information is made available with the understanding that the author and publisher are not providing medical, nutritional psychological services on this particular site. The information should not be used in place of a professional consultation with a competent health care, diet or nutrition professional.

The information on nutrition and health contained on this Web site does not cover all possible uses, precautions, side effects, and interactions. This Web site is not intended as medical advice. Liability for individual actions or omissions based upon the contents of this site is expressly disclaimed.

The purpose of eating a diet low in glycemic load is typically for weight loss. There are added health benefits as well. A low glycemic load diet incorporates quality nutritious foods while avoiding foods with zero value nutrition. Overall health can improve while reducing risk of certain diseases.

A low glycemic diet allows for healthier carbohydrate foods that do not spike blood glucose levels. These allow the sugar to absorb more steadily at a longer period of time. These slow acting carbohydrates include whole grains which are also rich in vitamins B which boost energy and can reduce symptioms of depression. Immunity gets a boost with minerals such as selenium and zinc. Benefits also include nutrition from protective antioxidants that help ward off free radical damage along with decreasing risk of disease.

For diabetes and weight loss, these types of carbohydrates show less impact on blood sugar level compared to high sugar starchy foods which spike the blood glucose level and weigh it down—explaining the down almost headachy feeling you get after consuming. Studies have also found that low glycemic foods are important in preventing and decreasing the risk of diabetes and colon cancer. Lower cholesterol levels are attributed to the fiber in these foods which ultimately contributed to weight loss, reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes or metabolic syndrome.

PRODUCE w/ MEDIUM GLYCEMIC INDEX

Apple chips

Apple cider

Apple juice

Apple juice, with added vitamin C

Apple-cherry juice

Apple-grape juice

Apple-grape-raspberry juice

Apple-pear juice

Apple-raspberry juice

Apple, baked, NS as to added sweetener

Apple, baked, unsweetened

Apple, baked, with sugar

Apple, candied

Apple, cooked or canned, with syrup

Apple, dried, cooked, NS as to sweetened or unsweetened; sweetened, NS as to type of sweetener

Apple, dried, cooked, with sugar

Apple, dried, uncooked

Apple, fried

Apple, raw

Applesauce, stewed apples, NS as to sweetened or unsweetened; sweetened, NS as to type of sweetener

Applesauce, stewed apples, sweetened with low calorie sweetener

Applesauce, stewed apples, unsweetened

Applesauce, stewed apples, with sugar

Apricot-orange juice

Apricot, dried, uncooked

Avocado, raw

Banana, raw

Banana, red, ripe (guineo morado)

Banana, ripe, boiled

Banana, ripe, fried

Berries, raw, NFS

Blueberries, raw

Cantaloupe (muskmelon), raw

Cherries, frozen

Cherries, sour, red, cooked, unsweetened

Cherries, sweet, cooked or canned, drained solids

Cherries, sweet, cooked or canned, in heavy syrup

Cherries, sweet, cooked or canned, in light syrup

Cherries, sweet, cooked or canned, juice pack

Cherries, sweet, cooked or canned, NS as to sweetened or unsweetened; sweetened, NS as to type of sweetener

Cherries, sweet, raw (Queen Anne, Bing)

Cranberry juice, unsweetened

Cranberry-white grape juice mixture, unsweetened

Currants, dried

Currants, raw

Date

Fig, dried, cooked, with sugar

Fig, dried, uncooked

Fig, raw

Figs, cooked or canned, in light syrup

Fried green plantain, Puerto Rican style (Tostones)

Fruit cocktail or mix (excluding citrus fruits), raw

Fruit cocktail or mix (including citrus fruits), raw

Fruit cocktail or mix, frozen

Fruit cocktail, cooked or canned, drained solids

Fruit cocktail, cooked or canned, in heavy syrup

Fruit cocktail, cooked or canned, in light syrup

Fruit cocktail, cooked or canned, juice pack

Fruit cocktail, cooked or canned, NS as to sweetened or unsweetened; sweetened, NS as to type of sweetener

Fruit cocktail, cooked or canned, unsweetened, water pack

Fruit juice blend, 100% juice, with added Vitamin C

Fruit juice, NFS

Fruit mixture, dried (mixture includes three or more of the following: apples, apricots, dates, papaya, peaches, pears, pineapples, prunes, raisins)

Fruit salad (excluding citrus fruits) with cream

Fruit salad (excluding citrus fruits) with cream substitute

Fruit salad (excluding citrus fruits) with salad dressing or mayonnaise

Fruit salad (including citrus fruits) with salad dressing or mayonnaise

Fruit, chocolate covered

Fruit, dried, NFS (assume uncooked)

Grape juice, NS as to added sweetener

Grape juice, unsweetened

Grape juice, unsweetened, with added vitamin C

Grape-tangerine-lemon juice

Grapefruit and orange juice, canned, unsweetened

Grapefruit and orange juice, fresh

Grapefruit and orange juice, NFS

Grapefruit juice, canned, bottled or in a carton, unsweetened

Grapefruit juice, canned, bottled or in a carton, with sugar

Grapefruit juice, canned, bottled, or in a carton, sweetened with low calorie sweetener

Grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed

Grapefruit juice, frozen, unsweetened (reconstituted with water)

Grapefruit juice, NFS

Grapefruit juice, unsweetened, NS as to form

Grapefruit, canned or frozen, in light syrup

Grapefruit, canned or frozen, NS as to sweetened or unsweetened; sweetened, NS as to type of sweetener

Grapefruit, canned or frozen, unsweetened, water pack

Grapefruit, raw

Grapes, American type, slip skin, raw

Grapes, European type, adherent skin, raw

Grapes, raw, NS as to type

Green banana, cooked (in salt water)

Green banana, fried

Green plantains, boiled

Guacamole with tomatoes

Guacamole with tomatoes and chili peppers

Guacamole, NFS

Honeydew melon, raw

Honeydew, frozen (balls)

Kiwi fruit, raw

Nectarine, raw

Orange and banana juice

Orange juice, canned, bottled or in a carton, unsweetened

Orange juice, canned, bottled or in a carton, with sugar

Orange juice, freshly squeezed

Orange juice, frozen, unsweetened (reconstituted with water)

Orange juice, frozen, unsweetened, not reconstituted

Orange juice, frozen, with calcium added (reconstituted with water)

Orange juice, frozen, with sugar (reconstituted with water)

Orange juice, NFS

Orange juice, with calcium added, canned, bottled or in a carton, unsweetened

Orange-white grape-peach juice

Orange, mandarin, canned or frozen, drained

Orange, mandarin, canned or frozen, in light syrup

Orange, mandarin, canned or frozen, NS as to sweetened or unsweetened; sweetened, NS as to type of sweetener

Orange, raw

Papaya, cooked or canned, in sugar or syrup

Papaya, green, cooked

Papaya, raw

Peach, cooked or canned, drained solids

Peach, cooked or canned, in heavy syrup

Peach, cooked or canned, in light or medium syrup

Peach, cooked or canned, juice pack

Peach, cooked or canned, NS as to sweetened or unsweetened; sweetened, NS as to type of sweetener

Peach, cooked or canned, unsweetened, water pack

Peach, frozen, NS as to added sweetener

Peach, frozen, unsweetened

Peach, frozen, with sugar

Peach, raw

Peaches, baby food, junior

Pear, cooked or canned, drained solids

Pear, cooked or canned, in heavy syrup

Pear, cooked or canned, in light syrup

Pear, cooked or canned, juice pack

Pear, cooked or canned, NS as to sweetened or unsweetened; sweetened, NS as to type of sweetener

Pear, Japanese, raw

Pear, raw

Pineapple juice-non-citrus juice blend, unsweetened, with added vitamin C

Pineapple juice, NS as to sweetened or unsweetened

Pineapple juice, unsweetened

Pineapple juice, unsweetened, with added Vitamin C

Pineapple juice, with sugar

Pineapple-apple-guava juice, with added vitamin C

Pineapple-grapefruit juice, canned, bottled or in a carton, unsweetened

Pineapple-orange juice, canned, NS as to sweetened or unsweetened; sweetened, NS as to type of sweetener

Pineapple-orange juice, canned, unsweetened

Pineapple-orange juice, frozen (reconstituted with water)

Pineapple-orange juice, NFS

Pineapple-orange-banana juice

Pineapple, cooked or canned, drained solids

Pineapple, cooked or canned, in heavy syrup

Pineapple, cooked or canned, in light syrup

Pineapple, cooked or canned, juice pack

Pineapple, cooked or canned, NS as to sweetened or unsweetened; sweetened, NS as to type of sweetener

Pineapple, cooked or canned, unsweetened, waterpack

Pineapple, raw

Plantain, boiled, NS as to green or ripe

Plantain, fried, NS as to green or ripe

Plum, cooked or canned, in heavy syrup

Plum, cooked or canned, in light syrup

Plum, raw

Plums, baby food, strained

Prune juice, unsweetened

Prune, dried, cooked, NS as to sweetened or unsweetened; sweetened, NS as to type of sweetener

Prune, dried, cooked, unsweetened

Prune, dried, cooked, with sugar

Prune, dried, uncooked

Prunes with tapioca, baby food, strained

Raisins

Raisins, cooked

Strawberries, cooked or canned, in syrup

Strawberries, cooked or canned, NS as to sweetened or unsweetened; sweetened, NS as to type of sweetener

Strawberries, frozen, NS as to added sweetener

Strawberries, frozen, unsweetened

Strawberries, frozen, with sugar

Strawberries, raw

Strawberries, raw, with sugar

Strawberry-banana-orange juice

Tangelo, raw

Tangerine, raw

Tomato and vegetable juice, mostly tomato

Tomato and vegetable juice, mostly tomato, low sodium

Tomato juice

Watermelon, raw

GI VALUE

34.2

103

38.3

48.4

45.8

48.8

41.4

54.3

38.3

43.5

54.8

Below is a chart of medium glycemic index foods.

This page was last updated: February 16, 2010

Disclaimer

RESOURCES

USDA Glycemic Index Database.

Arvidsson-Lenner R, Asp N-G, Axelsen M, Bryngelsson S, Haapa E, Jarvi A, Karlstrom B, Raben A, Sohlstrom A, Thorsottir I, Vessby B. (2004). Glycamic Index. Scandinavian Journal of Nutrition, 48(2), 84-94.

BRAND MILLER JC. (1994). Importance of glycemic index in diabetes. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 59(suppl):747S-752S.

Erith S, Williams C, Stevenson E, Chamberlain S, Crews P, Rushbury I. (2006). The Effect of High Carbohydrate Meals with Different Glycemic Indices on Recovery of Performance DuringProlonged Itermittent High-Intensity Shuttle running. International Journal of Sport utrition and Exercise Metabolism, 16(4): 393-404.