Apple glycemic index and glycemic load
Apple has a low glycemic index of 44 (from one lab test) in the 2021 International Tables, where pure glucose is 100. A serving of 1 cup, quartered or chopped (4.4 oz, 125 g) has 14.3 g of carbs minus fiber, which gives a glycemic load of about 6. Older or smaller studies outside the standard method found 28 to 45 (9 tests).
Glycemic load by portion
| Portion | Carbs | Fiber | Carbs minus fiber | Glycemic load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup, quartered or chopped (4.4 oz, 125 g) | 17.3 g | 3 g | 14.3 g | 6 |
| 1 cup slices (3.8 oz, 109 g) | 15.1 g | 2.6 g | 12.4 g | 5 |
| 1 large (7.9 oz, 223 g) | 30.8 g | 5.4 g | 25.4 g | 11 |
| 1 medium (6.4 oz, 182 g) | 25.1 g | 4.4 g | 20.8 g | 9 |
Glycemic load = GI 44 × carbs minus fiber ÷ 100. Carbs from USDA FoodData Central, Apples, raw, with skin (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program).
Every standardized test
| Food as tested | GI | Category | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apples, raw | 44 | low | Australia |
Glucose = 100. Low 55 or less, medium 56 to 69, high 70 or more (category cut-offs from the International Tables). Only tests that followed the ISO 26642:2010 method: at least 10 healthy adults, a portion with 25 or 50 g of available carbs (Supplemental Table 1).
Compared with similar foods
| Food | GI | Portion | Carbs minus fiber | Glycemic load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strawberries | 40 | 1 cup, halves (5.4 oz, 152 g) | 8.6 g | 3 |
| Apple | 44 | 1 cup, quartered or chopped (4.4 oz, 125 g) | 14.3 g | 6 |
| Orange | 45 | 1 cup sections no membranes (5.8 oz, 165 g) | 16.2 g | 7 |
| Banana | 49 | 1 banana, peeled (4.1 oz, 115 g) | 24.5 g | 12 |
| Watermelon | 50 | 1 cup, balls (5.4 oz, 154 g) | 11 g | 6 |
Same group in the International Tables (Fruit), each at its usual US portion. A low GI with a big portion can give a higher glycemic load than a high GI with a small one.
Older and smaller studies
9 more tests of apple are listed in the tables' second list (28 to 45, median 39). They deviate from the ISO method: fewer than 10 people, people with diabetes, a different reference food or sampling time, or wide variation. They are not part of the number at the top.
Show the 9 tests
| Food as tested | GI | Country | Who was tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple, NS | 28 | Denmark | type 2 diabetes, 8 people |
| Apple, Braeburn | 32 | New Zealand | type 2 diabetes, 15 people |
| Apple, NS | 34 | Germany | type 2 diabetes |
| Apple, Golden Delicious | 39 | Canada | healthy, 6 people |
| Apple, Golab, raw | 39 | Iran | healthy, 8 people |
| Apple, NS | 40 | USA | type 2 diabetes, 7 people |
| Apple, NS | 41 | Romania | type 2 diabetes, 8 people |
| Apple, Green, raw | 41 | Iran | healthy, 8 people |
| Apple, NS | 45 | Italy | type 2 diabetes, 7 people |
Supplemental Table 2 of the International Tables. NS means the study did not specify.
How much the glycemic index tells you
Researchers and health bodies do not agree on how much weight to give the glycemic index of single foods.
- Level E The World Health Organization examined the glycemic index, found it inconsistent, and refused to build guidance on it. Carbohydrate intake for adults and children: WHO guideline, 2023
- Level C A year after the World Health Organization set the glycemic index aside, a meta-analysis of cohorts each over a hundred thousand people linked high glycemic index diets to more diabetes, heart disease and death. Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 2024
- Level C Glycemic index and glycemic load, the other two ways of judging carbohydrate, held up far worse than fiber in the same analysis. Reynolds et al., The Lancet, 2019
What studies found about apple and blood sugar
- Level A A 2019 systematic review of apples and pears found only 2 randomized trials that measured blood glucose, and neither showed a difference between groups. Current Developments in Nutrition, 2019, Effects of Intake of Apples, Pears, or Their Products on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and Clinical Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Level B A 2026 systematic review of 38 apple intervention studies concluded apples and apple-based products may help blood glucose mainly in short-term interventions. Food Funct, 2026
- Level B In a crossover RCT of 18 healthy women, eating an apple before a rice meal halved the glucose rise compared with rice alone. Nutrients, 2019
- Level B In a second crossover RCT in healthy women, an apple preload before rice halved the peak glucose rise and cut the 3-hour glucose area by 45.7%. Nutrients, 2021
- Level B In a 5-phase crossover trial of 23 healthy adults, 19 oz (550 g) of whole apples a day for 4 weeks did not change insulin or other glucose metabolism markers. Eur J Nutr, 2013
Levels: A is a meta-analysis of trials, B a randomized trial, C an observational study, D lab or animal work, E an expert position. How we grade evidence.
Keep exploring
Sources
- Atkinson FS, Brand-Miller JC, Foster-Powell K, Buyken AE, Goletzke J. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values 2021: a systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr 2021;114(5):1625-1632, Supplemental Table 1 and Supplemental Table 2, PMID 34258626, doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqab233 (accessed 2026-10-12)
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (2018): Apples, raw, with skin (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), FDC ID 171688
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (2018): Strawberries, raw, FDC ID 167762
- USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods (release 2025-12-18): Oranges, raw, navels, FDC ID 746771
- USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods (release 2025-12-18): Bananas, ripe and slightly ripe, raw, FDC ID 1105314
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (2018): Watermelon, raw, FDC ID 167765
- Evidence cards: each study above links to its source. Card review dates are listed in our methodology.
Sources checked 2026-10-12. Bioma Learn provides information, not medical advice.