Which statement about glycemic index is true?

Which statement about glycemic index is true?

• A. Fresh squeezed juice and whole fruits have the same glycemic index
• B. Glycemic index takes into consideration the ripeness of the food
• C. A low glycemic index food means it has good nutritional value
• D. Glycemic index takes into account whether protein or fat are consumed with the carbohydrates

Answer: (B)

Glycemic index reflects how quickly carbohydrates in a food raise blood glucose, and that rate can change depending on how ripe the food is. As a fruit ripens, starches break down into simpler sugars, and fiber structure can change, making carbohydrates digested and absorbed faster. That’s why GI values for the same food can differ at different stages of ripeness, and GI tables often specify the ripeness level used in the measurement. This is why the statement about ripeness being considered is true. Fresh squeezed juice and whole fruits don’t have the same GI because juice generally lacks the fiber found in whole fruit, leading to quicker digestion and a faster glucose rise. So the idea that they share the same GI isn’t accurate. Having a low GI doesn’t automatically mean a food has good nutritional value, since GI only describes the rate of glucose rise from carbohydrates, not overall nutrient content, calories, vitamins, or minerals. Finally, GI is determined under standardized conditions with the carbohydrate portion measured in isolation, so it does not account for whether protein or fat are eaten at the same time. That broader mixed-meal effect is addressed more by glycemic load and overall meal composition rather than the GI value itself.

Glycemic index reflects how quickly carbohydrates in a food raise blood glucose, and that rate can change depending on how ripe the food is. As a fruit ripens, starches break down into simpler sugars, and fiber structure can change, making carbohydrates digested and absorbed faster. That’s why GI values for the same food can differ at different stages of ripeness, and GI tables often specify the ripeness level used in the measurement. This is why the statement about ripeness being considered is true.

Fresh squeezed juice and whole fruits don’t have the same GI because juice generally lacks the fiber found in whole fruit, leading to quicker digestion and a faster glucose rise. So the idea that they share the same GI isn’t accurate.

Having a low GI doesn’t automatically mean a food has good nutritional value, since GI only describes the rate of glucose rise from carbohydrates, not overall nutrient content, calories, vitamins, or minerals.

Finally, GI is determined under standardized conditions with the carbohydrate portion measured in isolation, so it does not account for whether protein or fat are eaten at the same time. That broader mixed-meal effect is addressed more by glycemic load and overall meal composition rather than the GI value itself.