Fructose is a simple carbohydrate that occurs naturally in some foods. Fruits are the primary source of fructose, but it is present in other foods as well. Naturally occurring fructose differs from artificially added fructose, such as the high-fructose corn syrup used as a sweetener in many commercially packaged food and drink items.
Natural Fructose
Fructose is present in fruits and some vegetables, such as onions and artichokes. Sorbitol, another natural sugar found in alcohol and foods such as prunes and pears, converts to fructose as your body digests it, according to Katherine Zeratsky of the Mayo Clinic. Wheat contains small amounts of fructose, as does honey.
Added Fructose
Fructose has been added to food as a sweetener since the 1980s, when the FDA included high fructose corn syrup on the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) list of foods. Crystalline fructose may be extracted from corn and processed with enzymes to transform the glucose into fructose, or it may be extracted from sucrose through a different enzyme process. High fructose corn syrup differs from crystalline fructose in that it contains both glucose and fructose, making it chemically similar to sucrose, another simple carbohydrate.
Benefits
Fruits that contain more fructose than glucose have a lower glycemic index than fruits with a higher glucose-to-fructose ratio. The lower glycemic index means that it takes more energy for your body to convert the sugars into energy, resulting in more calories burned during processing and a reduced effect on blood sugar levels. Low glycemic index fruits, such as apples, are often recommended for diabetics and people with other blood sugar issues.
Considerations
Some people have trouble digesting fructose. In the case of hereditary fructose intolerance, a rare disorder, the enzyme adolase B is not produced by the body, rendering people susceptible to dangerously low blood sugar and liver disease from eating fructose, according to the National Institutes of Health. More commonly, fructose malabsorption can cause abdominal pain and diarrhea. If you experience these symptoms when eating foods containing fructose, consult your doctor to find out if you need a modified diet.
Warning
Eating foods containing high fructose corn syrup may lead to obesity, according to Princeton University researchers. This may be due to the process used to create high fructose corn syrup, which involves unbinding the fructose molecules so they can be more quickly absorbed by the body, notes a report from the Princeton study. Consuming foods with naturally occurring fructose, however, does not contribute to obesity when used as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Member Comments