guide
Bread, couscous, semolina, rice: the glycemic index of staple starches from the Maghreb and the Middle East
What the glycemic index says about bread, couscous, semolina, rice, lentils and chickpeas, with the published values and their limits. No number for msemen or harcha, since no measurement is published.
Short answer
The glycemic index ranks carbohydrate-rich foods by how quickly they raise blood sugar, on a scale where pure glucose is 100. The international tables by Atkinson et al. (2008) give, for example, 75 for white bread, 65 for couscous, 73 for boiled white rice, 28 for chickpeas and 32 for lentils. These figures are averages. For wholemeal bread, barley bread, bulgur, msemen and harcha, we read no published measurement, so we give none. An index says nothing about the portion or about what is eaten with it. If you have diabetes, talk to your doctor or dietitian.
What the index measures, and what it does not say
The principle: a food containing 50 g of digestible carbohydrate is given to at least ten healthy people, and their blood glucose over two hours is compared with the response to pure glucose (University of Sydney database, glycemicindex.com). An index of 55 or less is called low, 70 or more is called high, and in between it is medium. Three limits. The portion: the glycemic load multiplies the index by the amount of available carbohydrate in the serving, then divides by 100 (Atkinson et al., 2008). The variability: the published value is an average, and the same authors point out white breads and white rices with a low index; cooking and milling matter too. The meal: protein, fat, fibre and vegetables often come with the starch, and the index of a food measured alone does not describe the whole dish. Atkinson et al. remind us that the index should not be used alone: many confectionery items have a low index but remain rich in saturated fat.
The table: the published index, and what makes it vary
The values come from Table 1 of Atkinson et al. (2008), averages over all the available measurements. "No value read" means we found no measurement in our sources, not that the index is low or high.
| Food | Published index (source) | What makes it vary |
|---|---|---|
| White wheat bread | 75 (Atkinson 2008) | bread variety, flour |
| Wholemeal bread | no value read | whole grain share, milling |
| Barley bread | no value read | share of barley in the flour |
| Barley, whole grain | 28 (Atkinson 2008) | cooking |
| Msemen, harcha, flatbreads | no published measurement found | thickness, fat, portion |
| Couscous | 65 (Atkinson 2008) | grain fineness, cooking |
| Bulgur | no value read | grain size, cooking |
| Boiled white rice | 73 (Atkinson 2008) | rice variety |
| Boiled brown rice | 68 (Atkinson 2008) | rice variety, cooking |
| Boiled potato | 78 (Atkinson 2008) | variety, preparation |
| Chickpeas | 28 (Atkinson 2008) | dried or canned |
| Lentils | 32 (Atkinson 2008) | variety, cooking |
Breads, flatbreads, couscous, bulgur, rice
Bread. White wheat bread is at 75. Wholemeal bread has no single value: whole grain share and milling differ from one bread to another, and we quote none. Whole barley grain is at 28 (Atkinson 2008), but a bread made of barley flour is a different food, with no measurement retained here. Msemen, harcha, baghrir. We found no published measurement of their index, so no number. We can only describe them: doughs of semolina or wheat flour, often cooked with fat, where the portion counts too. Couscous and semolina. Couscous is wheat semolina rolled and steamed, at 65 on average (Atkinson 2008), between low and high. No value read for semolina on its own. Grain fineness and cooking can shift this figure. With vegetables, chickpeas and meat, the dish is no longer a starch on its own. Bulgur. No value read either: it is pre-cooked, cracked wheat, and the grain size varies. Rice. Boiled white rice is at 73 and boiled brown rice at 68 (Atkinson 2008). The gap is small, and variety matters: the authors point out white rices with a low index.
Potatoes, chickpeas, lentils, and the whole plate
Boiled potato is at 78 (Atkinson 2008), in the high zone. Fries, mash or oven-baked are other preparations, with no figure here. Chickpeas are at 28 and lentils at 32 (Atkinson 2008), two low-index pulses found in harira, hummus or chorba. They also bring protein and fibre. To read a plate, look at the portion, the preparation, then what goes with the starch: the number is only a landmark. See also understanding the glycemic index and low-index foods and prediabetes, its signs and diet. If you have diabetes or prediabetes, talk to your doctor or dietitian. Sehtin is preparing a complete guide to the glycemic index in Maghreb and Middle Eastern cooking: you will be able to ask to be told when it comes out, just below this article.
Frequently asked questions
Does wholemeal bread have a lower index than white bread? The tables give 75 for white wheat bread. We read no value for wholemeal bread, so we do not compare. Do msemen or harcha have a published index? We found no published measurement for these flatbreads, so no number. Does a low index mean you can eat as much as you like? No. The portion counts, and a low index can come with a lot of saturated fat (Atkinson 2008). If you have diabetes, talk to your doctor or dietitian.
Continue reading on the Sehtin journal
This article relays the public teachings of Dr. Diaa Al-Awadi for educational and informative purposes. It is not medical advice. Consult your physician before any dietary change. Legal notice.