Lychee Glycemic Index
Low GI · The honest verdict
Gentle on blood sugar
Glycemic index
50–57
reported range
Glycemic load
11
Medium GL
This food's glycemic index is 50–57, which is Low GI.
Lychees are a low-to-medium GI fruit, but their relatively high sugar content (about 15 g per 100 g) means a 100 g serving lands at a medium glycemic load. Enjoying 5 to 6 lychees (~60–70 g) keeps GL in the low range. This is general nutrition information, not medical advice; people with diabetes should confirm lychee portions with their care team.
GI numbers vary by source, ripeness, and how a food is prepared. This is general nutrition information — not medical advice. If you manage diabetes, confirm specifics with your care team.
Key facts
Lychees are exceptionally rich in vitamin C — 100 g provides about 72 mg, roughly 80% of the daily recommended intake for adults.
Lychees contain about 15 g of natural sugar per 100 g, making them one of the higher-sugar tropical fruits alongside longan and rambutan.
A glycemic load of 11–19 per serving is classified as medium; a 100 g lychee serving scores approximately 11.
What's actually inside
Per 100 g, with your typical serving noted as 100 g (about 7–8 lychees), peeled and seeded. The carb family is what moves blood sugar — fiber is the number that softens the spike.
- Total carbs
- 16.5g
- Net carbs
- 15.2g
- total carbs minus fiber
- Fiber
- 1.3g
- slows the glucose rise
- Sugars
- 15.2g
- Protein
- 0.8g
- Calories
- 66kcal
Notable nutrients
- Vitamin C72 mg
- Copper0.15 mg
- Potassium171 mg
- Vitamin B60.1 mg
Is it a smart choice for blood sugar?
GI is only half the story — portion (glycemic load) and what you eat it with decide the real-world effect. Here's the honest read.
The verdict
Moderate caution — sweet and easy to overeat
Lychees are a low-to-medium GI fruit, but their relatively high sugar content (about 15 g per 100 g) means a 100 g serving lands at a medium glycemic load. Enjoying 5 to 6 lychees (~60–70 g) keeps GL in the low range. This is general nutrition information, not medical advice; people with diabetes should confirm lychee portions with their care team.
Portion guidance
Stick to 5 to 7 lychees (about 60–80 g) per serving to keep glycemic load comfortably low (under 10). A 100 g serving pushes GL to the medium range. Because lychees are small and sweet, it is easy to eat 15 to 20 without thinking — that quantity (200 g+) delivers 30+ g of sugar and a high glycemic load.
This is general nutrition information, not personal medical advice. Blood sugar responses are individual — if you have diabetes or prediabetes, your care team can tell you how this fits your plan.
How to keep the spike small
The same food can land differently depending on how it's cooked and what it's eaten with. Use these levers to your advantage.
Eating fresh vs. canned in syrup
Raises GICanned lychees packed in heavy syrup have significantly more sugar than fresh — the syrup adds easily 10–20 g of sugar per serving on top of the fruit's natural content. Fresh or canned in juice is always preferable.
Dried lychees
Raises GIDrying concentrates sugar dramatically. Dried lychees can have three to four times the sugar density of fresh fruit by weight — avoid as a blood-sugar-friendly choice.
Chilling fresh lychees
Little effectServing fresh lychees cold does not change their sugar content or GI. It is simply a preference.
Pairing with protein or fat
Lowers the spikeEating lychees alongside a source of protein or fat — yogurt, cheese, nuts — slows gastric emptying and smooths the glucose curve.
Pairing tip
Fresh lychees are best served chilled. Pair with plain Greek yogurt for a high-protein, lower-GL snack. They complement seafood well — a classic pairing in Southeast Asian cuisine that naturally adds protein. Avoid lychee cocktails or desserts with added sugar, which amplify the glycemic impact significantly.
Why GI numbers vary
Published GI data for lychees is limited. The University of Sydney database and related references suggest values in the 50–57 range for fresh lychee, which puts it at the boundary between low (≤55) and medium GI. Some sources classify it as low, others as medium — the honest answer is that it sits right at the threshold, and the glycemic load at a 100 g serving (roughly 11) is technically medium. We use the range 50–57 and classify GI as low (based on the lower end of published values) while being transparent that serving size matters more than the GI classification.
Not medical advice. This page is general nutrition information about Lychee. It isn't a diagnosis or a treatment plan. If you have diabetes, prediabetes, or another condition affecting blood sugar, confirm any dietary decisions with your doctor or care team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Lychees fall in the low-to-medium GI range — published estimates cluster around 50–57. This puts lychee right at the boundary between low-GI (≤55) and medium-GI (56–69). The GI classification is less important than the glycemic load per serving: at 100 g (~7–8 lychees), GL is about 11 — medium. A 60–70 g serving keeps GL in the low range.
Lychees can fit a diabetes-friendly diet in small portions, but they are one of the sweeter fruits — about 15 g of sugar per 100 g — and their GL at a standard 100 g serving is medium (around 11). Keeping portions to 5–7 lychees brings GL into low territory. People with diabetes should factor lychees' high natural sugar content into their carb budget and discuss portions with their care team.
Lychees and grapes are broadly comparable in glycemic terms — both are sweet fruits with published GI values in the 50–60 range and moderate glycemic loads at typical serving sizes. Grapes may have slightly more fiber per gram (especially with skin), but neither is a dramatically better choice for blood sugar. Portion control is the key variable for both.
Canned lychees in syrup are significantly worse for blood sugar than fresh. The syrup — typically a heavy sugar solution — adds 10–20 g of extra sugar per serving on top of the fruit's natural 15 g per 100 g. If canned lychees are your only option, choose those canned in juice or water rather than syrup, and drain and rinse them before eating.
Yes — lychees are one of the higher-sugar tropical fruits. Fresh lychees contain about 15 g of sugar per 100 g, compared to roughly 10 g for strawberries and 13 g for a ripe banana. Most of the sugar is fructose and glucose. This is why lychee is one of the few fruits where portion awareness genuinely matters for blood sugar management.
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Reviewed by
Curex Editorial TeamReviewed for accuracy
Last reviewed July 2026