The Glycemic Index of Beets: What You Need to Know

Beets are well known for their vibrant color and earthy flavor, but they can also play a surprising role in blood sugar management. Naturally sweet, beets do have a moderately high glycemic index (GI), according to the Glycemic Index Guide.

That might make them seem like they could present blood sugar challenges for people with diabetes and others focused on careful blood glucose control. But there are other things you should take into account before excluding these nutritious vegetables from your daily diet.

The Glycemic Index of Beets

The glycemic index is a rating system for carbohydrate-containing foods that measures how quickly a particular food raises blood sugar levels, according to Cleveland Clinic. The index uses a scale from 0 to 100, with 100 representing pure sugar (which has the greatest influence on blood glucose levels).

Foods that are high in simple sugars typically have a high GI, because these foods break down rapidly in the digestive tract and cause blood glucose levels to spike, according to MedlinePlus. Complex carbohydrates that are high in fiber tend to have a lower GI and are better for blood sugar regulation, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

Beets rate moderately high on the glycemic index, with a rating of 65, the Glycemic Index Guide says. Moderate GI foods rank from 56 to 69, according to Mayo Clinic.

The glycemic index has its limitations, though, when measuring how a food can impact blood sugar, Mayo Clinic adds. The index doesn’t account for how the body responds to a particular food when it’s eaten alongside other foods. It also doesn’t take into account how a particular food is prepared or what other important nutrients the food provides.

The Glycemic Load of Beets

The glycemic load is another measurement tool that assesses a food’s GI in addition to the amount of carbohydrates per serving it contains, according to Harvard Health Publishing. In doing so, the glycemic load can determine how much your blood sugar will rise when you eat a certain amount of a carbohydrate-based food.

It’s possible to calculate the glycemic load of a food. Multiply the food's GI by the number of grams of carbohydrates per serving of that food, then divide the result by 100, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.

Beets have a moderately high GI, but they have a low glycemic load of 7, as there aren't many carbohydrates in a single serving of beets, according to the Glycemic Index Guide. So, while beets may raise your blood sugar more quickly than other lower GI vegetables, the increment by which beets raise your blood sugar in the quantity that you’re likely to eat them is not a cause for concern.

Other Considerations When Eating Beets

Glycemic index and glycemic load aside, beets are a root vegetable high in various important nutrients and healthy compounds called phytochemicals.

Beets are rich in beta-carotene, fiber, folic acid, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamins A, B, and C, according to Northwestern Medicine. And if you have diabetes, including beets in your diet may help you manage your condition by slowing down how your body digests and absorbs sugars from food, according to a study published in December 2023.

In most cases, people with diabetes and those who carefully manage their blood sugar levels can enjoy beets as a regular, nutritious part of a balanced diet without concern.