Research paper
Holt SH, Miller JC, Petocz P. An insulin index of foods: the insulin demand generated by 1000-kJ portions of common foods. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997;66(5):1264-1276. doi:10.1093/ajcn/66.5.1264. PMID: 9356547.
Why we cite it
An insulin index of foods: a scoring system for the insulin demand of common foods, parallel to the glycemic index but measuring insulin response directly rather than inferring it from blood sugar. Testing 38 foods in isoenergetic (equal-calorie) portions, Holt et al. found glucose and insulin scores highly correlated (r = 0.70), but ”protein-rich foods and bakery products (rich in fat and refined carbohydrate) elicited insulin responses that were disproportionately higher than their glycemic responses”, so the glycemic index alone is an incomplete predictor of a food’s insulin demand. 287 Scopus citations (February 2026).
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