CR-Resolve the paradox (Raisins)

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CR-Resolve the paradox (Raisins)

by vishalwin » Sun Dec 13, 2015 4:01 am
Raisins are made by drying grapes in the sun. Although some of the sugar in the grapes is caramelized in the process, nothing is added. Moreover, the only thing removed from the grapes is the water that evaporates during the drying, and
water contains no calories or nutrients. The fact that raisins contain more iron per food calorie than grapes do is thus puzzling.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain why raisins contain more iron per calorie than do grapes?

(A) Since grapes are bigger than raisins, it takes several bunches of grapes to provide the same amount of iron as a handful of raisins does.

(B) Caramelized sugar cannot be digested, so its calories do not count toward the food calorie content of raisins.

(C) The body can absorb iron and other nutrients more quickly from grapes than from raisins because of the relatively high water content of grapes.

(D) Raisins, but not grapes, are available year-round, so many people get a greater share of their yearly iron intake from raisins than from grapes.

(E) Raisins are often eaten in combination with other iron-containing foods, while grapes are usually eaten by themselves.


Please explain option B.
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by MartyMurray » Sun Dec 13, 2015 4:52 am
vishalwin wrote:Please explain option B.

(B) Caramelized sugar cannot be digested, so its calories do not count toward the food calorie content of raisins.
The seeming paradox stems from the fact that although nothing other than water is added to or removed from the grapes during the drying process, the ratio of calories to iron changes such that there is more iron per calorie and, conversely, there are fewer calories per unit of iron.

B resolves the paradox, because it explains that although no sugar is removed, some of the sugar is caramelized. Caramelized sugar cannot be digested, and therefore its calories cannot be used. So the calories of sugar that is caramelized are effectively removed from the calorie count even though that sugar hasn't actually been removed from the grapes.
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