Potato glycemic index and glycemic load
Boiled potato has a high glycemic index of 74 (the median of 29 lab tests, range 53 to 103) in the 2021 International Tables, where pure glucose is 100. A serving of 1 potato (4.8 oz, 136 g) has 24.9 g of carbs minus fiber, which gives a glycemic load of about 18.
Glycemic load by portion
| Portion | Carbs | Fiber | Carbs minus fiber | Glycemic load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 potato (4.8 oz, 136 g) | 27.4 g | 2.4 g | 24.9 g | 18 |
| 1/2 cup (2.8 oz, 78 g) | 15.7 g | 1.4 g | 14.3 g | 11 |
Glycemic load = GI 74 × carbs minus fiber ÷ 100. Carbs from USDA FoodData Central, Potatoes, boiled, cooked in skin, flesh, without salt.
Every standardized test
| Food as tested | GI | Category | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carisma potato, peeled, cut into 5 cm by 5 cm slices | 53 | low | Australia |
| Marfona potato, peeled, quartered | 56 | medium | UK |
| Carisma potato, baby, peeled | 57 | medium | Australia |
| Nicola potato, unpeeled, boiled whole for 15 min | 58 | medium | Australia |
| Nicola potato, peeled, quartered | 59 | medium | UK |
| Irish potato (Solanum tuberosum), peeled, cubed | 59 | medium | Jamaica |
| Potato, NS, steamed | 62 | medium | China |
| Charlotte potato, peeled, quartered | 66 | medium | UK |
| Estima potato, peeled, quartered | 66 | medium | UK |
| Potato, NS, boiled | 66 | medium | China |
| Charlotte potato, unpeeled, cut into slices 1 cm thick | 68 | medium | Australia |
| Nicola potato, peeled, cut into 5 cm by 5 cm slices | 69 | medium | Australia |
All 29 tests
| Potato, frozen peeled cubes, boiled (McCain Purely Potato Cubes, McCains, Wendouree, VIC, Australia) | 70 | high | Australia |
| Prince Edward Island white potato, cooked in microwave for 18 min | 73 | high | Canada |
| Desiree potato, peeled, cut into 5 cm by 5 cm slices | 74 | high | Australia |
| King Edward potato, peeled, quartered | 75 | high | UK |
| Russet Burbank Norkotah potato, unpeeled, cooked in microwave for 18 min | 77 | high | USA |
| New potato, unpeeled and boiled 20 min | 78 | high | Australia |
| Desiree potato, peeled, cut into 5 cm by 5 cm slices | 79 | high | Australia |
| Pontiac potato, peeled, cooked in microwave on high for 6-7.5 min | 79 | high | Australia |
| Russet Burbank potato, peeled, cut into 5 cm by 5 cm slices | 82 | high | Australia |
| Maris Piper potato, peeled, quartered | 85 | high | UK |
| Sebago potato, peeled, boiled for 35 min | 87 | high | Australia |
| Pontiac potato, peeled, boiled 35 min | 88 | high | Australia |
| Red potatoes, boiled with skin on in salted water for 12 min | 89 | high | Canada |
| Virginia Rose potato, peeled, cut into 5 cm by 5 cm slices | 93 | high | Australia |
| Bintje potato, peeled, cut into 5 cm by 5 cm slices | 94 | high | Australia |
| Desiree potato, peeled, boiled 35 min | 101 | high | Australia |
| Maiflower potato, peeled, cut into 5 cm by 5 cm slices | 103 | high | 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). Tests of boiled, microwaved or steamed potato, the forms closest to the one in the glycemic load table above.
What changes the number
The same food tested in different forms, from the tests above and the other standardized tests of potato in the tables.
| Form in the test | Tests | Median GI | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooked, then cooled | 2 | 64 | 56 to 71 |
| Baked | 3 | 93 | 83 to 93 |
| Fried | 1 | 70 | — |
| Steamed | 1 | 62 | — |
| Microwaved | 3 | 77 | 73 to 79 |
| Boiled | 25 | 74 | 53 to 103 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
25 more tests of potato are listed in the tables' second list (23 to 94, median 57). 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 25 tests
| Food as tested | GI | Country | Who was tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potatoes, white, NS | 23 | India | healthy, 5 people |
| Potatoes, NS, boiled with salt | 24 | Kenya | type 2 diabetes, 14 people |
| Potatoes, blended, excess water drained | 28 | South Korea | healthy, 7 people |
| Potatoes, white, NS | 41 | Romania | type 2 diabetes, 6 people |
| New potatoes | 47 | Germany | diabetes |
| Potatoes | 49 | Germany | diabetes |
| Potato starch, made into paste with water, steamed for 25 min | 53 | South Korea | healthy, 12 people |
| Potato dumplings (60% white potatoes, 40% white wheat flour, boiled in salted water) | 53 | Italy | type 2 diabetes, 8 people |
| Potatoes, white, boiled | 55 | Canada | diabetes, 7 people |
| Potato, NS, peeled | 55 | Lebanon | healthy, 4 people |
| New potatoes | 55 | Canada | type 2 diabetes, 6 people |
| Pontiac potato, peeled, boiled whole for 30 min | 56 | Australia | healthy, 6 people |
| Potatoes, white, NS | 57 | Denmark | type 2 diabetes, 6 people |
| New potatoes | 63 | Italy | type 2 diabetes, 7 people |
| Potato (Solanum Tuberosum), peeled, steamed 1 h | 65 | India | healthy, 12-15 people |
| Irish potato, peeled, boiled 30 min | 66 | Canada | healthy, 6 people |
| Irish potato, peeled, boiled 30 min | 66 | Canada | healthy, 6 people |
| New potatoes, boiled in water with 2 g salt | 70 | Canada | healthy, 8 people |
| Desiree potato, peeled, quartered | 77 | UK | healthy, 10 people |
| Potatoes, white, NS | 77 | India | healthy, 5 people |
| Potatoes, NS, baked for 30 min | 78 | South Korea | healthy, 9 people |
| Potato, Red-Y38 variety, red skin and flesh | 78 | Canada | healthy, 9 people |
| Potato, NS, peeled | 82 | USA | type 2 diabetes, 8 people |
| Potatoes, NS, peeled | 87 | Lebanon | healthy, 4 people |
| Potatoes, NS, steamed in high heat for 35 min | 94 | South Korea | healthy, 9 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 potato and blood sugar
- Level B Baked-then-chilled potato cut the insulin response by about a quarter against boiled potato in women with raised fasting glucose, while the overall glucose curve did not move at all. Patterson et al., Nutrients, 2019
- Level B Firm-cooked potato swapped for a third of the rice in a meal flattened both the glucose and the insulin peak. Nutrients, 2026
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): Potatoes, boiled, cooked in skin, flesh, without salt, FDC ID 170438
- 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
- 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.