[thedoc (OP)]

Is the energy available to us from pears the same for unripened fruit (with more starches) as for ripened fruit (where starches are converted into sugars) ?
Asked by Denis Ripley


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[chapter podcast=1001320 track=16.03.22/Naked_Scientists_Show_16.03.22_1004913.mp3]  ...or Listen to the Answer[/chapter] or [download as MP3]

[c0sm0]

The label on my bag of Pears says that (amongst other things) they consist of '10% Carbohydrates of which 10% are Sugars'.
So I'm guessing that the label suggests that all the starch is converted to sugar (either as it becomes fully ripe or as it's assimilated in the gut) ?  The label says it's got 204kj or 48 kcal.
I believe sugars are more easily assimilated than starches...but maybe that just means it's assimilated quicker rather than more efficiently ?