Abstract
A weighted mean of the glycemic index (GI) values of the constituent sugars of a non-starchy fruit is known to give a rough estimate of the GI of that fruit. Previously observed GI values (GIob) were, on average, lower than the calculated GI of the sugar mixture (GIsm) for nine acidic fruits (pH of 3.24-4.17) and tended to exceed the GIsm for six near-neutral non-starchy foods (pH < 5.33). A formula for predicting GI from GIsm and food pH was developed, and it accounted for 69% of the sum of squares for the 15 GIob values. A model that proposed that organic acids and their acidic anions slow gastric emptying and thereby lower GI was developed, and it was found to account for 57% of the GIob sum of squares. The substances responsible for lowering GI in acid fruits and the mechanisms of their action remain to be identified.