Bulgur glycemic index (GI)

by Victoria Mazmanyan | Last updated on August 25, 2023

Medically reviewed by Ani Harutyunyan

Bulgur is a cereal food made from parboiled cracked wheat originating in the Middle East.

According to The International Tables of Glycemic Index, out of five different types of bulgur, four boiled bulgur samples from Canada had the same glycemic index number of 46. The fifth one had a GI of 53. The mean of these numbers makes the average GI of bulgur 47±1 (1).

Cracked wheat kernel (bulgur) bread from Canada, 50%, has a GI of 58. 75% cracked wheat kernel bread has a lower GI of 48 (1).

A Polish study has found the glycemic index of bulgur to be 64.5±23.7 (2).

Bulgur most often falls under the classification of a low-glycemic index food. It is advised to replace white rice, a high glycemic index food, with bulgur in dishes whenever possible for people with diabetes. Bulgur can play an important role in a diet where a reduction in postprandial glycemia is required (3).

Whole grains possess evident anti-diabetic and anti-obese properties (4). Another research talks about increasing whole grain consumption for the prevention of type 2 diabetes (5). Also, a study shows that whole grain processing may manage spikes in blood glucose levels. Hence, bulgur, being less-processed whole grain, may be beneficial for people with diabetes (6).

Please check our glycemic index chart page for more GI values.