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© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Background: Fruits are a convenient and natural source of carbohydrates that can rapidly affect blood sugar levels and the glycemic index (GI). The GI plays a crucial role in the management of chronic diseases, including diabetes, obesity, hyperglycemia, and diet-related illnesses. Despite there being several health benefits linked with consuming fruits, it remains unclear which specific components of fruits are the key determinants that significantly influence the GI. Methods: This study retrospectively examined the relationship between different types of carbohydrates and the GI of various fruits to determine their correlation. The fruits’ sugar and fiber contents were identified from available public databases, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), FooDB, PubMed, and published sources. Results: Previously, the GI was determined by the available carbohydrates, which include different types of sugar. In this study, individual hexose sugars, along with the total carbohydrates and dietary fiber, were examined. The results indicated a strong correlation between fructose and the GI, whereas glucose and total glucose did not exhibit such a correlation. The total carbohydrate-to-fiber ratio displayed a stronger correlation (R = 0.57 and p > 0.0001) with the GI compared to glucose alone (R = 0.37; p = 0.01) or the total glucose (R = 0.45; p = 0.0009) with the consideration of fiber, while the scattering of data points around the regression line suggested that factors beyond the total carbohydrate and fiber also contribute to determining the GI. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that individual hexose sugars, especially fructose, significantly influence the GI. These findings suggest that the carbohydrate-to-fiber ratio may offer a more accurate and reliable metric for determining the GI than traditional methods. Further research is warranted to investigate the specific contribution of dietary fiber components, fruit texture, micronutrients, vitamins, genetic predispositions, gut microbiota, and the body’s physiological status to gain a deeper understanding of GI regulation.

Details

Title
Fruit Carbohydrates and Their Impact on the Glycemic Index: A Study of Key Determinants
Author
Singh, Manish Kumar 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Han, Sunhee 2 ; Ju, Songhyun 2 ; Ranbhise, Jyotsna Suresh 2 ; Akter, Salima 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Kim, Sung Soo 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Kang, Insug 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea; [email protected] (M.K.S.); [email protected] (S.H.); [email protected] (S.J.); [email protected] (J.S.R.); [email protected] (S.A.); Biomedical Science Institute, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea 
 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea; [email protected] (M.K.S.); [email protected] (S.H.); [email protected] (S.J.); [email protected] (J.S.R.); [email protected] (S.A.); Biomedical Science Institute, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea 
First page
646
Publication year
2025
Publication date
2025
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
23048158
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3171051553
Copyright
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.