Basmati rice glycemic index and glycemic load
Basmati rice has a medium glycemic index of 60 (the median of 11 lab tests, range 50 to 67) in the 2021 International Tables, where pure glucose is 100. A serving of 1 cup (5.6 oz, 158 g) has 43.9 g of carbs minus fiber, which gives a glycemic load of about 26.
Glycemic load by portion
| Portion | Carbs | Fiber | Carbs minus fiber | Glycemic load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup (5.6 oz, 158 g) | 44.5 g | 0.6 g | 43.9 g | 26 |
Glycemic load = GI 60 × carbs minus fiber ÷ 100. Carbs from USDA FoodData Central, Rice, white, long-grain, regular, enriched, cooked. USDA lists basmati with other long-grain white rice, so carbs are for cooked long-grain white rice.
Every standardized test
| Food as tested | GI | Category | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basmati, white, polished | 50 | low | UK |
| Basmati rice (Dreamrice, Singapore) | 56 | medium | Singapore |
| Basmati rice (SunRice; Ricegrowers Ltd.; Leeton, NSW, Australia) | 57 | medium | Australia |
| Basmati, white, boiled (Mahatma brand, Australia) | 58 | medium | Australia |
| Basmati, white, boiled (SunRice brand, Rice Growers Co-Op., Australia) | 59 | medium | Pakistan |
| Basmati rice (Dreamrice, Singapore) | 60 | medium | Singapore |
| Basmati rice (Dreamrice, Singapore) | 63 | medium | Singapore |
| Basmati, white, express rice | 63 | medium | Australia |
| Basmati, white, boiled (SunRice brand, Rice Growers Co-Op., Australia) | 65 | medium | Pakistan |
| Basmati rice (Laila Basmati Rice, Surya Foods, Harwich, UK) | 66 | medium | UK |
| Basmati rice (SunRice; Ricegrowers Ltd.; Leeton, NSW) | 67 | medium | Australia |
The tables' own average for this food: 60 (mean of 10 studies).
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).
What changes the number
The same food tested in different forms, from the tests above and the other standardized tests of basmati rice in the tables.
| Form in the test | Tests | Median GI | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microwaved | 1 | 63 | — |
| Boiled | 4 | 58 | 50 to 65 |
| Form not stated | 6 | 62 | 56 to 67 |
Variety, ripeness, cooking time and the lab all move the result, which is why one food can span a wide range.
Compared with similar foods
| Food | GI | Portion | Carbs minus fiber | Glycemic load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinoa | 52 | 1 cup (6.5 oz, 185 g) | 34.2 g | 18 |
| Sweet corn | 53 | 1 ear medium (3.6 oz, 103 g) | 19.1 g | 10 |
| Basmati rice | 60 | 1 cup (5.6 oz, 158 g) | 43.9 g | 26 |
| Brown rice | 72 | 1 cup (7.1 oz, 202 g) | 48.4 g | 35 |
| White rice | 77 | 1 cup (5.6 oz, 158 g) | 43.9 g | 34 |
Same group in the International Tables (Grains and rice), 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
4 more tests of basmati rice are listed in the tables' second list (52 to 84, median 63). 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 4 tests
| Food as tested | GI | Country | Who was tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basmati, white, boiled 12 min (Value, UK) | 52 | UK | healthy, 8 people |
| Basmati, white, organic | 57 | UK | healthy, 8 people |
| Basmati, white, boiled 8 min | 69 | UK | healthy, 8 people |
| Basmati rice, white, cooked by absorption method | 84 | Qatar | healthy, 19 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 basmati rice and blood sugar
- Level B In 75 healthy Chinese, Malay and Asian-Indian men in Singapore, basmati rice had a mean glycemic index of 59 against 91 for jasmine rice. Br J Nutr, 2015
- Level B In 75 healthy Asian men given 50 g carbohydrate portions, glucose response was significantly lower after basmati than after jasmine rice (P < 0.001), and chewing more per mouthful raised it. Eur J Nutr, 2016
- Level B In a crossover RCT in 20 healthy Chinese men, meals with 50 g carbohydrate from basmati rice gave lower glucose, insulin and C-peptide responses than jasmine rice, whatever the added fat. Eur J Nutr, 2018
- Level C A GI test in 19 volunteers in Qatar found white basmati rice, like all 10 local foods tested, had a high glycemic index above 70. Int J Food Sci Nutr, 2010
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): Rice, white, long-grain, regular, enriched, cooked, FDC ID 168878
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (2018): Quinoa, cooked, FDC ID 168917
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (2018): Corn, sweet, yellow, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt, FDC ID 169999
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (2018): Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), FDC ID 169704
- 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.