White rice glycemic index and glycemic load
White rice has a high glycemic index of 77 (the median of 8 lab tests, range 64 to 83) in the 2021 International Tables, where pure glucose is 100. A serving of 1 cup (5.6 oz, 158 g) has 43.9 g of carbs minus fiber, which gives a glycemic load of about 34.
Glycemic load by portion
| Portion | Carbs | Fiber | Carbs minus fiber | Glycemic load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup (5.6 oz, 158 g) | 44.5 g | 0.6 g | 43.9 g | 34 |
Glycemic load = GI 77 × carbs minus fiber ÷ 100. Carbs from USDA FoodData Central, Rice, white, long-grain, regular, enriched, cooked.
Every standardized test
| Food as tested | GI | Category | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| White rice, Carnaroli, regular (Scotti, Italy) | 64 | medium | Italy |
| White rice, Ponni, cooked in rice cooker for 33 min | 70 | high | India |
| White rice, Sona Masuri variety, cooked in rice cooker for 35 min | 72 | high | India |
| White rice, Ponni, refined | 77 | high | India |
| White rice, Surti Kolam variety, cooked in rice cooker for 32 min | 77 | high | India |
| White rice, fully polished, prepared from the Indian rice variety "Bapatla" (BPT-5204) | 80 | high | India |
| White rice, Ponni, refined | 81 | high | India |
| White rice, NS | 83 | high | China |
The tables' own average for this food: 76 (mean of three 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).
Compared with similar foods
| Food | GI | Portion | Carbs minus fiber | Glycemic load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinoa | 52 | 1 cup (6.5 oz, 185 g) | 34.2 g | 18 |
| Sweet corn | 53 | 1 ear medium (3.6 oz, 103 g) | 19.1 g | 10 |
| Basmati rice | 60 | 1 cup (5.6 oz, 158 g) | 43.9 g | 26 |
| Brown rice | 72 | 1 cup (7.1 oz, 202 g) | 48.4 g | 35 |
| White rice | 77 | 1 cup (5.6 oz, 158 g) | 43.9 g | 34 |
Same group in the International Tables (Grains and rice), 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
15 more tests of white rice are listed in the tables' second list (17 to 114, 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 15 tests
| Food as tested | GI | Country | Who was tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| White rice, NS, boiled | 17 | Turkey | mixed, 83 people |
| White rice, NS, boiled | 43 | France | type 2 diabetes, 14 people |
| White rice, NS | 43 | India | healthy, 6 people |
| White rice, NS, boiled | 47 | France | type 2 diabetes, 16 people |
| White rice, NS | 48 | Malaysia | type 2 diabetes, 10 people |
| White rice, NS | 52 | France | healthy, 12 people |
| White rice, NS, boiled in water with 1 g salt | 54 | India | healthy, 8 people |
| White rice, NS | 57 | Canada | type 2 diabetes, 6 people |
| White rice, NS | 70 | Pakistan | type 2 diabetes, 22 people |
| White rice, steamed | 70 | South Korea | healthy, 8 people |
| White rice, NS | 72 | Canada | healthy, 7 people |
| White rice, NS, boiled in water with 1 g salt | 73 | India | healthy, 8 people |
| White rice, NS, boiled | 92 | Japan | healthy, 9 people |
| White rice, NS, boiled 13 min | 94 | Italy | healthy, 14 people |
| White rice, NS, boiled in salted water | 114 | Kenya | type 2 diabetes, 10 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 white rice and blood sugar
- Level A In a meta-analysis of randomized trials, whole-grain rice cut the post-meal blood glucose area by 730 mg/dL (40.5 mmol/L) x min compared with white rice. Am J Clin Nutr, 2018
- Level B In a crossover RCT of 18 young women, eating vegetables before boiled white rice lowered post-meal glucose and insulin even when the meal was eaten in 10 minutes. Nutrients, 2023
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): Rice, white, long-grain, regular, enriched, cooked, FDC ID 168878
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (2018): Quinoa, cooked, FDC ID 168917
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (2018): Corn, sweet, yellow, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt, FDC ID 169999
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (2018): Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), FDC ID 169704
- 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.