Cranberry Glycemic Index (GI) - Is It High or Low?
An exact figure for the glycemic index of raw cranberries has not yet been determined. Nevertheless, the effect of cranberries on blood glucose in healthy individuals or diabetic patients can be looked at based on other research methods listed in this article.
According to numbers from The International Tables of Glycemic Index, the mean glycemic index of cranberry juice, based on three different studies, has been calculated to be 59 (1).
Sweetened cranberry raisins, or craisins, have a glycemic index of 64. This puts craisins and cranberry juice in the medium glycemic index category (2).
The cranberry itself would have a lower glycemic index since it contains fiber and has a different serving size compared to craisins.
Adding cranberries to a high-fat diet may improve the blood glucose response. Dietary cranberries have been shown to reduce postprandial glucose response induced by a high-caloric breakfast in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (3).
Due to their high polyphenol content, cranberries may also improve insulin sensitivity in overweight or obese insulin-resistant individuals (4).
For people with diabetes or anyone concerned about their carbohydrate intake, unsweetened low-calorie cranberry juice is recommended, as it has a favorable metabolic response (5).
Overall, cranberry consumption has shown promising results in managing type 2 diabetes (6).
References
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916522004944
- http://www.glycemicindex.com/blog/2008/august08/ginews.aug.2008.pdf
- https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2017/fo/c7fo00900c#!divAbstract
- Glycemic Response and Type II Diabetes: Human
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19021808/
- Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
