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    Fruit · Glycemic index

    Do apples spike blood sugar?

    Not much. Apples have a low GI of 36, and a 182 g serving (1 medium apple, 3-inch diameter) has a low glycemic load of 8. Apples have one of the lowest GIs of any fruit, and a medium apple eaten whole carries a low glycemic load.

    Key numbers

    Glycemic index
    36
    Low GI
    Glycemic load
    8
    Low GL
    Available carbs
    21 g
    4.4 g fiber
    Serving
    1 medium apple, 3-inch diameter
    182 g · raw, with skin

    GI vs GL for apples

    The glycemic index (GI) compares how fast the carbohydrate in a food raises blood sugar against pure glucose (100), using a fixed amount of carbohydrate. The glycemic load (GL) adds the other half of the story — how much carbohydrate a normal serving actually contains: GI × available carbs Ă· 100. For apples: 36 × 21 g Ă· 100 ≈ 8.

    That figure is an average reported in the 2008 international GI tables (“Apple, raw: 36 ± 2 (average of all available data)”). A 2020 ISO-standard test of raw apples in the 2021 tables found 44, and a Golden Delicious apple tested 39 in the 2008 tables — all in the low band.

    Eating a different amount? Work out the glycemic load of your portion.

    How to eat apples with less of a spike

    • Eat the whole apple rather than drinking apple juice, which keeps the sugar but loses almost all of the fiber.
    • Slice it and dip it in peanut butter, or eat it with a piece of cheese.
    • Choose a small or medium apple; a large one (about 223 g in USDA's portions) carries about a fifth more carbohydrate.

    Other low-GI choices

    Compare with

    See all 67 foods in the glycemic index table

    Frequently asked questions

    What is the glycemic index of apples?

    Apples have a glycemic index of 36, which is low. That figure is an average reported in the 2008 international GI tables (“Apple, raw: 36 ± 2 (average of all available data)”). A 182 g serving (1 medium apple, 3-inch diameter) contains about 21 g of available carbohydrate, giving a glycemic load of 8 (low).

    Is apples good for prediabetes?

    Apples are a good fruit choice for prediabetes. Eat them whole, with the skin, rather than as juice, and pair one with cheese or nut butter for a steadier snack.

    Why do apples have such a low GI?

    More than half of an apple's sugar is fructose, according to USDA data, and fructose on its own has a very low GI (24 in the 2021 tables). Apples also bring fiber, which slows digestion.

    Sources

    GI values come from the international GI tables; carbohydrate and fiber per serving are calculated from USDA FoodData Central.

    1. Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008. Diabetes Care. 2008;31(12):2281–2283, Table 1
    2. USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171688: Apples, raw, with skin (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)
    3. 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
    4. Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008 — online appendix, Table A1
    5. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, The Nutrition Source — Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar

    Data last checked .

    Real meals aren’t single foods

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