Carrots glycemic index and glycemic load
Carrots have a low glycemic index of 32 (the median of 2 lab tests, range 31 to 32) in the 2021 International Tables, where pure glucose is 100. A serving of 1/2 cup slices (2.8 oz, 78 g) has 4.1 g of carbs minus fiber, which gives a glycemic load of about 1. Older or smaller studies outside the standard method found 16 to 92 (7 tests).
Glycemic load by portion
| Portion | Carbs | Fiber | Carbs minus fiber | Glycemic load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 cup slices (2.8 oz, 78 g) | 6.4 g | 2.3 g | 4.1 g | 1 |
| 1 carrot (1.6 oz, 46 g) | 3.8 g | 1.4 g | 2.4 g | 1 |
Glycemic load = GI 32 × carbs minus fiber ÷ 100. Carbs from USDA FoodData Central, Carrots, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt.
Every standardized test
| Food as tested | GI | Category | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrots, diced, frozen (Talleys Group Ltd) | 31 | low | New Zealand |
| Carrots, unpeeled, boiled | 32 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrots | 32 | 1/2 cup slices (2.8 oz, 78 g) | 4.1 g | 1 |
| Peas | 42 | 1 cup (5.1 oz, 145 g) | 12.7 g | 5 |
| Sweet potato | 47 | 1 medium (5.3 oz, 151 g) | 23 g | 11 |
| Pumpkin | 66 | 1 cup (4.1 oz, 116 g) | 7 g | 5 |
| Potato | 74 | 1 potato (4.8 oz, 136 g) | 24.9 g | 18 |
Same group in the International Tables (Vegetables and starchy roots), 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
7 more tests of carrots are listed in the tables' second list (16 to 92, 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 7 tests
| Food as tested | GI | Country | Who was tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrots, raw | 16 | Romania | type 2 diabetes, 9 people |
| Carrots, peeled, boiled | 33 | Australia | healthy, 8 people |
| Carrots, raw, diced | 35 | Australia | healthy, 7 people |
| Carrots, raw, ground | 39 | Australia | healthy, 7 people |
| Carrots, peeled, diced | 49 | Australia | healthy, 7 people |
| Carrots, peeled, boiled | 60 | Australia | healthy, 7 people |
| Carrots, boiled in water with 2 g salt | 92 | Canada | healthy, 5 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
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): Carrots, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt, FDC ID 170394
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (2018): Peas, green, raw, FDC ID 170419
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (2018): Sweet potato, cooked, boiled, without skin, FDC ID 168484
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (2018): Pumpkin, raw, FDC ID 168448
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (2018): Potatoes, boiled, cooked in skin, flesh, without salt, FDC ID 170438
- 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.