Popcorn glycemic index and glycemic load
Popcorn has a medium glycemic index of 60 (the median of 4 lab tests, range 51 to 72) in the 2021 International Tables, where pure glucose is 100. A serving of 1 oz (28 g) has 13.4 g of carbs minus fiber, which gives a glycemic load of about 8.
Glycemic load by portion
| Portion | Carbs | Fiber | Carbs minus fiber | Glycemic load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 oz (28 g) | 16.2 g | 2.8 g | 13.4 g | 8 |
Glycemic load = GI 60 × carbs minus fiber ÷ 100. Carbs from USDA FoodData Central, Popcorn, microwave, regular (butter) flavor, made with palm oil. Carbs are for butter-flavor microwave popcorn, the kind that was tested.
Every standardized test
| Food as tested | GI | Category | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poppin Microwave Popcorn, butter flavor Green's Foods, Australia) | 51 | low | Australia |
| Microwave Popping Corn, natural flavor, President's Choice ® Blue Menu™ (Loblaw Brands Limited,... | 58 | medium | Canada |
| Poppin Microwave Popcorn, butter flavor Green's Foods, Australia) | 62 | medium | Australia |
| Microwave Popping Corn, butter flavor, President's Choice ® Blue Menu™ (Loblaw Brands Limited,... | 72 | high | Canada |
The tables' own average for this food: 62 (mean of five 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).
Older and smaller studies
4 more tests of popcorn are listed in the tables' second list (55 to 89, median 62). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Popcorn | 55 | China | healthy, 6 people |
| Popcorn, plain, cooked in microwave oven (Green's Foods, Glendenning, NSW, Australia) | 55 | Australia | healthy, 8 people |
| Popcorn, maize grains puffed for 10 min | 70 | South Korea | healthy, 9 people |
| Popcorn, plain, cooked in microwave oven (Uncle Toby's, Australia) | 89 | Australia | 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
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): Popcorn, microwave, regular (butter) flavor, made with palm oil, FDC ID 173141
- 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.