Sweet potato glycemic index and glycemic load
Boiled sweet potato has a low glycemic index of 47 (the median of 13 lab tests, range 41 to 75) in the 2021 International Tables, where pure glucose is 100. A serving of 1 medium (5.3 oz, 151 g) has 23 g of carbs minus fiber, which gives a glycemic load of about 11.
Glycemic load by portion
| Portion | Carbs | Fiber | Carbs minus fiber | Glycemic load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 medium (5.3 oz, 151 g) | 26.8 g | 3.8 g | 23 g | 11 |
| 1 cup, mashed (11.6 oz, 328 g) | 58.1 g | 8.2 g | 49.9 g | 23 |
Glycemic load = GI 47 × carbs minus fiber ÷ 100. Carbs from USDA FoodData Central, Sweet potato, cooked, boiled, without skin.
Every standardized test
| Food as tested | GI | Category | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), Ganja cultivar, peeled | 41 | low | Jamaica |
| Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), Watson cultivar, peeled | 43 | low | Jamaica |
| Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), Ms Mac cultivar, peeled | 45 | low | Jamaica |
| Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), Clarendon cultivar, peeled | 46 | low | Jamaica |
| Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), Fire on Land cultivar, peeled | 46 | low | Jamaica |
| Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), NS, peeled | 46 | low | Jamaica |
| Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), Dor cultivar, peeled | 47 | low | Jamaica |
| Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), Eustace cultivar, peeled | 49 | low | Jamaica |
| Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), Minda cultivar, peeled | 49 | low | Jamaica |
| Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), Quarter Million cultivar, peeled | 49 | low | Jamaica |
| Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), Yellow Belly cultivar, peeled | 50 | low | Jamaica |
| Sweet potato, orange flesh, NS | 61 | medium | Australia |
All 13 tests
| Sweet potato, purple skin white flesh, peeled | 75 | 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 sweet potato, the form 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 sweet potato in the tables.
| Form in the test | Tests | Median GI | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baked | 11 | 87 | 82 to 94 |
| Roasted | 11 | 86 | 79 to 93 |
| Fried | 11 | 72 | 63 to 77 |
| Boiled | 13 | 47 | 41 to 75 |
| Form not stated | 2 | 80 | 77 to 84 |
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
5 more tests of sweet potato are listed in the tables' second list (44 to 78, median 60). 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 5 tests
| Food as tested | GI | Country | Who was tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), boiled | 44 | Australia | healthy, 7 people |
| Sweet potato, boiled in water with 2 g salt | 48 | Canada | healthy, 5 people |
| Sweet potato, peeled, cubed | 60 | Canada | type 1 and type 2 diabetes, 13 people |
| Sweet potato, orange | 77 | China | healthy, 8 people |
| Sweet potato, kumara | 78 | New Zealand | type 2 diabetes, 14 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 sweet potato and blood sugar
- Level C In 10 healthy adults eating 10 Jamaican sweet potato cultivars, boiled sweet potato had a glycemic index of 41 to 50, while baked (82 to 94) and roasted (79 to 93) were high. Bahado-Singh PS, et al. J Nutr Metab. 2011
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): Sweet potato, cooked, boiled, without skin, FDC ID 168484
- 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): 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.