Egg glycemic index (GI)
The carbohydrate content in an egg is so low that it is exceedingly challenging to consume a portion of the food containing enough available carbohydrates to calculate the glycemic index. Eggs, eaten alone, will not have much effect on blood glucose levels (1).
According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the glycemic index of a poached egg is equal to 0 (2).
A study has concluded that the daily inclusion of eggs in the diet of adults with type 2 diabetes led to improved anthropometric measures with no effect on glycemic control and blood pressure (3).
Due to their high protein content, eggs may potentially control the impact of carbohydrates on postprandial blood glucose levels (4).
Research showed that a low-carbohydrate bedtime snack, such as an egg, lowered fasting glucose and improved insulin sensitivity compared to a high-carbohydrate bedtime snack with the same amount of protein, such as yogurt (5).
One research concluded that eggs should not be considered an independent risk factor for elevated fasting glucose levels but that higher consumption of eggs may be associated with an overall unhealthy diet (6).
In conclusion, eggs eaten alone do not have a notable effect on blood glucose levels. Eggs can be recommended to people with diabetes as long as they are consumed in a healthy, balanced diet.
Sources
- Egg Protein as a Source of Power, Strength, and Energy
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916522004944
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5220274/
- Use of the glycemic index in nutrition education
- https://europepmc.org/article/med/32204977
- https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-019-0516-5
