Glycemic index of fruit

Factual Questions
1

I was reading reviews in amazon for a gadget called “Yonanas”. It’s a machine that processes frozen bananas into a creamy ice-cream-like consistency. I’m borrowing one and it’s great and all, but that has nothing to do with anything.

When I was reading the 1 star reviews, one woman said this:

[QUOTE=a reviewer on Amazon]
This product was a gift to me, and everyone loved the frozen fruit whip it produced. However, 1/2 cup of it kicked my blood glucose level to over 250. I’m a type 2 diabetic. Not good. It’s something about breaking down the fruit to such fine particles increases its glycemic load factor. I’m not a doctor or scientist, but all I know is that Type 2 diabetics should check with their endocrinologist or other doctor who treats their diabetes before eating this delicious stuff. As for the machine itself, I wouldn’t know. I didn’t use it; someone else made the fruit whip with it. It WAS noisy and it seemed very complex to wash and put together. Since we didn’t keep it but returned it to a store after one use, I don’t know how long it would last.
[/QUOTE]
(bolding mine).
My questions are as follows:
I’m familiar with the glycemic index, but my understanding is basic and limited. What is a “glycemic load factor”?
Does smashing down or puréeing fruit change its glycemic rating?
Does freezing or heating fruit change its glycemic rating?

2

Glycemic Load is the Glycemic Index multiplied by the amount of carbohydrate.

And yes preparation can impact how quickly starches can be converted into sugars and can change a resistant starch (that would not be directly digested but instead make it to the colon where it would be fermented into short chain fatty acids) into smaller bits that can be digested more rapidly in the small intenstine. Resistant starches are resistant to rapid digestion generally because of the way in which they are packaged into granules: puree them, grind them, cook them, and you give greater surface area exposure to the digestive enzymes and break down some of the starches into smaller bits.

The resistance to rapid digestion can be a result of the size and shape of the starch or the physical structure that it is contained in (the whole seed in the case of grains, for example). Banannas, in particular ones still a bit unripe, have a fair amount of resistant starch.

3

Thank you DSeid, I understand a little better now. Apparently a banana isn’t always just a banana.