Raisin bread: the raisins were tested, the loaf never was

Raisins on their own have a glycemic index of 56, measured in a randomized crossover test on 11 healthy adults aged 18 to 25 who ate them alone. No trial has measured raisin bread, where most of the carbohydrate is wheat starch, so the loaf's own number is unknown. In the US the loaf is defined by law. It must use at least 50 parts of raisins for every 100 parts of flour by weight. What it reliably adds comes from the flour. USDA's older reference records, which have no measured spread, list enriched raisin bread at 156 mcg of folate per 3.5 oz (100 g), and the lowest of its three raisin bread records has 34 mcg, a gap that follows flour enrichment. A regular slice weighs 0.99 oz (28 g) in the US survey, a thin one 24 g and a thick one 43 g.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• USDA lists 156 mcg of folate per 3.5 oz (100 g) for enriched raisin bread against 34 mcg at the low end of its three raisin bread records. — USDA SR Legacy records for raisin bread: enriched (FDC 172680), enriched toasted, and unenriched Evidence E source
  Enriched per 3.5 oz (100 g): folate 156 mcg (39% DV), selenium 20 mcg (36% DV), riboflavin 0.398 mg (31% DV); across three records folate 34 to 156 mcg, riboflavin 0.173 to 0.398 mg
• In the US, a loaf may only be called raisin bread if it uses at least 50 parts of raisins for every 100 parts of flour by weight. — US standard of identity for raisin bread, raisin rolls and raisin buns, 21 CFR 136.160 Evidence E source
  Raisins not less than 50% of flour weight; raisin water extract may not replace raisins

What a real portion looks like

• A regular slice of raisin bread weighs 0.99 oz (28 g) in the US dietary survey, a thin one 24 g and a thick one 43 g. — FNDDS portion weights for Bread, raisin (food code 51129010) Evidence E source
  Medium slice 28 g; small or thin 24 g; large or thick 43 g; snack-size 10 g

What your body absorbs

• How fast sugar from dried fruit reaches the blood tracked its fructose to glucose ratio, not its fiber or pectin, in meals tested on 11 adults. — 11 healthy adults, correlation across dried fruit, rice and almond test meals (n = 11) Evidence C source
  Fructose to glucose ratio very strongly negatively correlated with early glucose response; no association with total carbohydrate, fiber or pectin

What it does to your health

• In a 4-week randomized crossover trial in 55 adults at raised cardiometabolic risk, 3/4 cup a day of mixed dried fruit including raisins raised fasting glucose by 1.4 mg/dL (0.08 mmol/l) against a matched snack. — 55 adults with elevated BMI and at least one more cardiometabolic risk factor, 3/4 cup/d mixed dried plums, figs, dates and raisins or an energy-matched snack, 4 weeks each (n = 55) Evidence B source
  Fasting glucose +1.4 mg/dL (95% CI 0.09 to 2.9; metric: 0.08 mmol/l, 0.005 to 0.16) versus control; LDL-cholesterol no difference between conditions
• In 36 healthy smokers, 3.2 oz (90 g) of raisins a day for 4 weeks did not change blood markers of oxidative stress, inflammation or arterial function. — 36 apparently healthy smokers eating under five fruit and vegetable servings, 90 g/d raisins or control for 4 weeks (n = 36) Evidence B source
  No effect on glucose, lipids, CRP, MDA, flow-mediated dilatation or pulse wave velocity

Safety, limits and interactions

• Across 4109 dried fruit samples worldwide, 63% carried the mold toxin ochratoxin A, at a mean of 3.12 mcg per kg. — 30 contamination studies of dried fruits, 1999 to 2024, 4109 samples (n = 4109) Evidence C source
  63.39% contaminated; mean OTA 3.12 mcg/kg; range by country 0.45 (Czech Republic) to 47.51 mcg/kg (Greece)

What people believe that the data does not support

• The EU did not authorize the claim that a diet rich in fruits, dried fruit included, helps to control blood glucose. — EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-7144 for fruits fresh, frozen, canned, bottled, dried or juiced Evidence E source
  Status Non-authorized

Who this works differently for

• In a 12-week randomized trial in 51 people with type 2 diabetes, raisin snacks cut post-meal glucose by 23% compared with processed snacks. — 51 patients with type 2 diabetes, dark raisins or alternative processed snacks for 12 weeks (n = 51) Evidence B source
  Postprandial glucose -23% (P = 0.024); systolic blood pressure -8.7 mmHg (P = 0.035); fasting glucose and HbA1c not significant
• In a 6-month randomized trial in 80 adults over 70, 1.8 oz (50 g) of raisins a day raised cognitive test scores by 3.27 MoCA points against no supplement. — 80 healthy adults over 70 in Salamanca and Zamora, Spain, 50 g raisins per day or no supplement for 6 months (n = 80) Evidence B source
  MoCA +3.27 points (95% CI 1.59 to 4.96), p ≤ 0.001
• In older adults on low-fruit diets, adding 3.5 oz (100 g) of dried fruit a day for 6 months changed neither acid excretion nor weight, muscle or bone markers in a randomized trial of 83. — 83 men and postmenopausal women aged 50 and over on self-reported low fruit diets, 100 g/day dried fruit or no supplemental fruit for 6 months (n = 83) Evidence B source
  No significant group differences in net acid excretion, bone resorption, weight, body composition, muscle performance or diet quality

What is still unknown

• Raisins themselves have a glycemic index of 56 in a randomized crossover test on 11 healthy young adults, but no trial has measured raisin bread as a whole. — 11 healthy adults aged 18 to 25, test meals in random order on 17 mornings (n = 11) Evidence B source
  GI 56 for raisins and dried apricots, 55 for jujubes, 43 for dried apples

The bottom line

Every trial behind this page fed people raisins or mixed dried fruit, never bread. In 51 people with type 2 diabetes, raisin snacks cut post-meal glucose by 23 percent over 12 weeks against processed snacks, in industry-linked research, and systolic pressure fell by 8.7 mmHg. The changes in fasting glucose and HbA1c did not reach significance. In 55 adults at raised cardiometabolic risk, 3/4 cup a day of mixed dried fruit for 4 weeks raised fasting glucose by 1.4 mg/dL (0.08 mmol/l) against a matched snack, with a 95% CI of 0.005 to 0.16 that almost touches zero. Ninety grams of raisins a day for 4 weeks changed no blood marker of oxidative stress, inflammation or arterial function in a small open-label trial in 36 healthy smokers. In 80 healthy Spanish adults over 70, 1.8 oz (50 g) of raisins a day for 6 months raised MoCA cognitive scores by 3.27 points (95% CI 1.59 to 4.96). The control arm got no snack at all, so extra food and attention are not separated from the raisins. Adding 3.5 oz (100 g) of mixed dried fruit a day for 6 months in 83 adults over 50 changed neither acid excretion nor weight, muscle or bone markers. In meals tested on 11 adults, how fast sugar from dried fruit reached the blood tracked the fruit's fructose to glucose ratio, and fiber and pectin showed no association, a correlation within one small trial. The EU refused the claim that a diet rich in fruits, dried fruit included, helps control blood glucose. We found nothing on what baking does to the nutrients in the raisins. Across 4,109 dried fruit samples in 30 surveys, 63 percent carried the mold toxin ochratoxin A, at a mean of 3.12 mcg per kg. Those were dried fruits in general, and nobody measured the toxin in raisin bread or after baking. We have no card on allergy, pregnancy, children or medicines for raisin bread.

Sources

1. rbrd-r8-01 · USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy, dataset
   Bread, raisin, enriched (FDC 172680, SR Legacy, Baked Products): folate 156 ug = 39% DV; selenium 20 ug = 36% DV; riboflavin 0.398 mg = 31% DV; across 3 records folate 34-156 ug, riboflavin 0.173-0.398 mg; Foundation samples 0, CoFID match none
   USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC 172680 · checked 2026-09-29
2. rbrd-r8-02 · standard of identity
   (1) Not less than 50 parts by weight of seeded or seedless raisins are used for each 100 parts by weight of flour used. (2) Water extract of raisins may be used, but not to replace raisins.
   21 CFR 136.160, Raisin bread, rolls, and buns (CFR 2024 edition) · checked 2026-09-29
3. rbrd-r8-03 · USDA FNDDS portion weights, dataset
   Bread, raisin (FNDDS 51129010, FDC 2707644): 1 medium or regular slice 28 g; 1 small or thin/very thin slice 24 g; 1 large or thick slice 43 g; 1 slice, snack-size 10 g
   USDA FNDDS, Bread, raisin, food code 51129010, FDC 2707644 · checked 2026-09-29
4. rbrd-r8-05 · secondary analysis of a randomized crossover trial
   The ratio of the amount of total fructose and total glucose in test meals had a very strong negative correlation with the iAUC0–60, iAUC0–120 and peak value. No association was found between glycaemic characteristics and the content of the total carbohydrate, dietary fibre, pectin, organic acid or ORAC.
   Nutrients, 2018 · checked 2026-09-29
5. rbrd-r8-07 · randomized controlled trial
   Compared with the control, dried fruit increased mean fasting glucose (0·08 mmol/l, 95 % CI 0·005, 0·16; P = 0·038).
   Br J Nutr, 2020 · checked 2026-09-29
6. rbrd-r8-10 · randomized controlled trial
   No effect of daily raisin consumption was observed on markers assessed between baseline and week 4 in either arm.
   Food Res Int, 2017 · checked 2026-09-29
7. rbrd-r8-11 · systematic review of observational data
   Data from 30 studies included (1999-2024) 4109 samples, of which 63.39% were contaminated, and the mean OTA ‎ concentration was estimated at 3.12 µg/kg.
   Int J Environ Health Res, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
8. rbrd-r8-12 · EU health claim decision
   POL-HC-7144 Fruits (fresh, frozen, canned, bottled, dried, juiced) A diet rich in fruits helps to control blood glucose level Non-authorised
   EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-7144, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
9. rbrd-r8-06 · randomized controlled trial
   This 12-week randomized study of 51 study participants evaluated the impact of routine consumption of dark raisins versus alternative processed snacks on glucose levels and other cardiovascular risk factors among patients with type T2DM. In this study, compared to alternative processed snacks, those who consumed raisins had a significant 23% reduction in postprandial glucose levels (P = 0.024).
   Phys Sportsmed, 2015 · checked 2026-09-29
10. rbrd-r8-08 · randomized controlled trial
    For 6 months, the intervention group (IG; n = 40) consumed 50 g of raisins per day added to their usual diet, whereas the control group (CG; n = 40) received no supplement. ... Cognitive performance assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) test shows a difference of 3.27 points (95% CI 1.59 to 4.96), p ≤ 0.001, favorable to the IG, after the intervention.
    Nutrients, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
11. rbrd-r8-09 · randomized controlled trial
    In this field study of older adults consuming self-selected diets, making one change to the diet by adding 100 g/day of dried fruit (equivalent to 4 servings per day) had no significant impact on NAE when compared to a no supplemental fruit control.
    J Am Nutr Assoc, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
12. rbrd-r8-04 · randomized controlled trial
    The GI values of 4 DFs were 43 for DApp, 55 for DJ, 56 for both Ra and DApr.
    Nutrients, 2018 · checked 2026-09-29