Dates glycemic index and glycemic load
Dates have a low glycemic index of 54 (the median of 27 lab tests, range 43 to 75) in the 2021 International Tables, where pure glucose is 100. A serving of 1 date, pitted (24 g) has 16.4 g of carbs minus fiber, which gives a glycemic load of about 9.
Glycemic load by portion
| Portion | Carbs | Fiber | Carbs minus fiber | Glycemic load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 date, pitted (24 g) | 18 g | 1.6 g | 16.4 g | 9 |
Glycemic load = GI 54 × carbs minus fiber ÷ 100. Carbs from USDA FoodData Central, Dates, medjool.
Every standardized test
| Food as tested | GI | Category | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dates, Shaqra cultivar, Tamer stage | 43 | low | Saudi Arabia |
| Dates, Sukkary cultivar, Tamer stage | 43 | low | Saudi Arabia |
| Dates, Tinissine variety | 44 | low | Algeria |
| Dates, Sag'ai cultivar, Tamer stage | 45 | low | Saudi Arabia |
| Dates, Bo ma'an variety (Al Saad date factory, Al Ain, UAE) | 46 | low | UAE |
| Dates, Khalas (Rutab, soft early ripened) variety | 47 | low | UAE |
| Dates, H'mira variety | 48 | low | Algeria |
| Dates, Dabbas variety (Al Saad date factory, Al Ain, UAE) | 49 | low | UAE |
| Dates, Shishi cultivar, Tamer stage | 50 | low | Saudi Arabia |
| Dates, Rashodia cultivar, Tamer stage | 51 | low | Saudi Arabia |
| Dates, Wannanah cultivar, Tamer stage | 51 | low | Saudi Arabia |
| Dates, Deglet noir variety | 52 | low | Algeria |
All 27 tests
| Dates, Ruthana cultivar, Tamer stage | 53 | low | Saudi Arabia |
| Dates, Fara'd variety (Al Saad date factory, Al Ain, UAE) | 54 | low | UAE |
| Dates, Lulu variety (Al Saad date factory, Al Ain, UAE) | 54 | low | UAE |
| Dates, Nabtat-seyf cultivar, Tamer stage | 54 | low | Saudi Arabia |
| Dates, Khalas variety (Al Saad date factory, Al Ain, UAE) | 55 | low | UAE |
| Dates, Khalas (Phoenix dactylifera L.) | 55 | low | Saudi Arabia |
| Dates, Medjool cultivar, Tamer stage | 55 | low | Saudi Arabia |
| Dates, Osilah cultivar, Tamer stage | 57 | medium | Saudi Arabia |
| Dates, Um-Kabar cultivar, Tamer stage | 59 | medium | Saudi Arabia |
| Dates, Ajwah cultivar, Tamer stage | 60 | medium | Saudi Arabia |
| Dates, Nabtat-ali cultivar, Tamer stage | 60 | medium | Saudi Arabia |
| Dates, Khudri cultivar, Tamer stage | 62 | medium | Saudi Arabia |
| Dates, NS | 68 | medium | Canada |
| Dates, Maktoomi cultivar, Tamer stage | 71 | high | Saudi Arabia |
| Dates, Sellaj cultivar, Tamer stage | 75 | high | Saudi Arabia |
The tables' own average for this food: 52 (mean of 11 foods).
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 |
| 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 |
| Dates | 54 | 1 date, pitted (24 g) | 16.4 g | 9 |
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
17 more tests of dates are listed in the tables' second list (44 to 62, median 52). 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 17 tests
| Food as tested | GI | Country | Who was tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dates, Lulu, Tamer stage (Al Saad Date factory, Al Ain, UAE) | 44 | UAE | type 2 diabetes, 10 people |
| Dates, Fara'd, Tamer stage (Al Saad Date factory, Al Ain, UAE) | 46 | UAE | type 2 diabetes, 10 people |
| Dates, Fardh variety, from A'Dhahira | 48 | Oman | healthy, 10 people |
| Dates, Dabbas, Tamer stage (Al Saad Date factory, Al Ain, UAE) | 50 | UAE | type 2 diabetes, 10 people |
| Dates, Khalas variety, from A'Dhahira | 50 | Oman | healthy, 10 people |
| Dates, Fardh variety, from Al Batinah | 51 | Oman | healthy, 10 people |
| Dates, Khalas variety, from A'Dakhlia | 51 | Oman | healthy, 10 people |
| Dates, Bo ma'an, Tamer stage (Al Saad Date factory, Al Ain, UAE) | 52 | UAE | type 2 diabetes, 10 people |
| Dates, Khsab variety, from A'Dhahira | 52 | Oman | healthy, 10 people |
| Dates, Khalas, Tamer stage (Al Saad Date factory, Al Ain, UAE) | 53 | UAE | type 2 diabetes, 10 people |
| Dates, Khsab variety, from Al Batinah | 55 | Oman | healthy, 10 people |
| Dates, Sabaka cultivar | 55 | Saudi Arabia | healthy, 10 people |
| Dates, Sabaka, Tamer stage | 55 | Saudi Arabia | healthy, 10 people |
| Dates, Khalas variety, from Al Batinah | 56 | Oman | healthy, 10 people |
| Dates, Fardh variety, from A'Dakhlia | 57 | Oman | healthy, 10 people |
| Dates, Khsab variety, from A'Dakhlia | 58 | Oman | healthy, 10 people |
| Dates, NS | 62 | Israel | gestational 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
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): Dates, medjool, FDC ID 168191
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (2018): Strawberries, raw, FDC ID 167762
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (2018): Apples, raw, with skin (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), FDC ID 171688
- 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.