AhaBulbStuff Everyone Should Know
AhaBulb: Stuff Everyone Should Know · ahabulb.com/diab-glycemic-index-low

On the glycemic index scale, what number or lower counts as 'low'?

55 or less is low glycemic.

Start playing free

  1. 70
  2. 55 ✔
  3. 25

Why: The glycemic index ranks carb foods from 0 to 100 by how quickly and how much they raise blood sugar. Harvard says 55 or less is low, 56 to 69 medium, and 70 or more high.

Huh, didn't know that: Harvard gives whole oats as a low glycemic food and white bread as a high one.

The dad joke
Why was the bowl of oatmeal so calm? It was a slow-release kind of breakfast.
Like this card?
Play the game

References

Answer: 55. The glycemic index ranks carb foods from 0 to 100 by how quickly and how much they raise blood sugar. Harvard says 55 or less is low, 56 to 69 medium, and 70 or more high.

  1. Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health) nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/carbohydrates/carbohydrates-and-blood-sugar
    Low-glycemic foods have a rating of 55 or less
    Checked 2026-10-08.
  2. Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health) nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/carbohydrates/carbohydrates-and-blood-sugar
    Foods with a low glycemic index, like whole oats, are digested more slowly, prompting a more gradual rise in blood sugar.
    Checked 2026-10-08.

Think this answer is wrong? Tap "Challenge this answer" on the card in the game and tell us why.

Test yourself in the game

Health BasicsSugar, starch or fiber: which type of carbohydrate does NOT raise blood sugar?Health BasicsCompared with a greener banana, a very ripe banana usually has what glycemic index?Health BasicsHow can a meal high in protein and fat change the way carbs affect blood sugar?

That's stuff everyone should know.