Brown rice glycemic index and glycemic load
Brown rice has a high glycemic index of 72 (the median of 5 lab tests, range 58 to 87) in the 2021 International Tables, where pure glucose is 100. A serving of 1 cup (7.1 oz, 202 g) has 48.4 g of carbs minus fiber, which gives a glycemic load of about 35.
Glycemic load by portion
| Portion | Carbs | Fiber | Carbs minus fiber | Glycemic load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup (7.1 oz, 202 g) | 51.7 g | 3.2 g | 48.4 g | 35 |
Glycemic load = GI 72 × carbs minus fiber ÷ 100. Carbs from USDA FoodData Central, Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program).
Every standardized test
| Food as tested | GI | Category | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown rice (0% polished), prepared from the Indian rice variety "Bapatla" (BPT-5204), pressure... | 58 | medium | India |
| Brown rice (SunRice, Ricegrowers Ltd., NSW, Australia) | 65 | medium | Australia |
| Brown rice, boiled in excess water for 25 min (SunRice brand, Rice Growers Co-op, Australia) | 72 | high | Australia |
| Brown rice (SunRice, Ricegrowers Ltd., NSW, Australia) | 78 | high | Australia |
| Brown rice | 87 | high | China |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
2 more tests of brown rice are listed in the tables' second list (66 to 95, median 80). 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 2 tests
| Food as tested | GI | Country | Who was tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown rice | 66 | Canada | healthy, 7 people |
| Brown rice (Carolina Natural whole grain brown rice), prepared in rice cooker | 95 | USA | healthy, 12 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 brown rice and blood sugar
- Level B In the Indian trial the parboiled brown rice dishes had estimated glycemic index values of 50.2 to 59.7 against 69.4 to 84 for the white rice versions. Br J Nutr, 2019
- Level B In a crossover test in 10 healthy and 9 diabetic volunteers, brown rice gave a 12.1% lower glycemic index than milled rice in healthy people and 35.6% lower in diabetics. Int J Food Sci Nutr, 2006
- Level B A systematic review found rice glycemic index ranges from 48 to 93, and brown rice beats white only at equal cooking times. At the longer times used for brown rice the gap is small and inconsistent. Br J Nutr, 2015
- Level E The EU rejected the claim that germinated brown rice (Vibigaba) helps maintain normal blood glucose, and no brown rice health claim is authorized in the register. EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-8510, snapshot 2026-09-21
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, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), FDC ID 169704
- 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, white, long-grain, regular, enriched, cooked, FDC ID 168878
- 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.