Potatoes & vegetables · Glycemic index
Does pumpkin spike blood sugar?
Only a little. Pumpkin has a medium GI of 64, and a 245 g serving (1 cup mashed) has a low glycemic load of 6. Pumpkin has a medium GI, but it is so low in carbohydrate that even a full cup of mashed pumpkin has a low glycemic load — a clear example of why GL matters.
Key numbers
- Glycemic index
- 64
- Medium GI
- Glycemic load
- 6
- Low GL
- Available carbs
- 9 g
- 2.7 g fiber
- Serving
- 1 cup mashed
- 245 g · boiled
GI vs GL for pumpkin
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 ÷ 100. For pumpkin: 64 × 9 g ÷ 100 ≈ 6.
That figure is an average reported in the 2008 international GI tables (“Pumpkin, boiled: 64 ± 7 (average of multiple studies)”). Individual tests range widely — butternut pumpkin tested 51 and a Jamaican pumpkin 66 in the 2021 tables, and a South African test found 75 — but pumpkin's low carbohydrate content keeps its glycemic load low.
Eating a different amount? Work out the glycemic load of your portion.
How to eat pumpkin with less of a spike
- Mash pumpkin or butternut squash in place of potato.
- Roast cubes with olive oil and herbs as a side dish.
- Watch pumpkin pie and pumpkin-spice drinks, where added sugar — not the pumpkin — drives the load.
Lower-GI swaps
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Frequently asked questions
What is the glycemic index of pumpkin?
Pumpkin has a glycemic index of 64, which is medium. That figure is an average reported in the 2008 international GI tables (“Pumpkin, boiled: 64 ± 7 (average of multiple studies)”). A 245 g serving (1 cup mashed) contains about 9 g of available carbohydrate, giving a glycemic load of 6 (low).
Is pumpkin good for prediabetes?
Pumpkin is a good choice for prediabetes despite its medium GI, because a serving contains little carbohydrate. It makes a lower-carbohydrate alternative to mashed potato.
How can pumpkin have a medium GI but a low glycemic load?
GI compares foods gram for gram of carbohydrate, and pumpkin contains only about 5 g of carbohydrate per 100 g. So although its GI averages 64, a cup of mashed pumpkin adds very little carbohydrate, and its glycemic load stays low.
Sources
GI values come from the international GI tables; carbohydrate and fiber per serving are calculated from USDA FoodData Central.
- 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
- USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 168449: Pumpkin, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
- 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
- Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008 — online appendix, Table A1
Data last checked .