Avocado Glycemic Index (GI) - Is It High or Low?

by Victoria Mazmanyan | Last updated on November 01, 2023

Medically reviewed by Ani Harutyunyan

Avocado’s carbohydrate concentration and content, therefore, glycemic index, depends on its ripeness.

However, all studies show that avocados fall under the category of having a low GI value, meaning under 55.

The International Tables of Glycemic Index does not include avocados in its research, but other sources have investigated the topic.

In one study by the Journal of Ethnic Foods, Nigerian avocados had a glycemic index of 40.34±0.72 (1).

According to another study by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the GI of a raw, peeled avocado is estimated to be about zero, with a margin error of only 1 (2). That is because avocados contain very few sugars.

Also, research shows that the Hass avocado - a version of a usual avocado with a creamier texture, has a very low glycemic index, near zero, due to its negligible carbohydrate content (6).

The International Tables of Glycemic Index do not have GI values for avocados because they contain so few carbohydrates that it would be challenging to consume a portion containing 50g or 25g of carbohydrates (3).

The main sugar found in avocados is D-mannoheptulose. Research on this sugar suggests it controls blood sugar management (4).

That is one of the reasons, alongside healthy fats, why people with diabetes are encouraged by the American Diabetes Association to add avocados to their diets (5).

You can see the glycemic indexes of 350+ foods on our glycemic index chart page.