How can dates have a higher GI (glycemic index) than glucose?

Question

Dates are rated with a GI of 103 while glucose (the reference) is rated as 100.

My guess so far are that the dates may be high in fructose content and that might have a faster induction rate into the blood. (I remember hearing that high fructose corn syrup or 'glucose/fructose syrup as it seems to be called in the uk' has an incredibly rapid affect on blood sugar.)

I am mainly interested because I am about to make a date wine using them as the main ingredient.

Answer 1

any GI values over 100 are to be assumed equivalent to glucose. fructose is metabolized using a non-insulin dependent pathway, it is metabolized directly by the liver and does not have a direct effect on serum glucose or insulin levels. all fruits contain a matrix of sugars, not just fructose and glucose. some fruits contain more than 5 types of sugars in varying quantities.