Dextrose, also known as glucose, is a type of simple sugar carbohydrate found in a variety of food items. Dextrose is an essential nutrient, as it is your body's main source of energy. Because dextrose raises your blood sugar, it is important that you follow the guidelines for dextrose intake.
Low Dextrose Fruits
Some fruits contain relatively small amounts of dextrose. For example, 1 apricot with skin contains 0.83 g of dextrose, 1 medium tangerine contains 1.87 g, 1 nectarine with skin contains 2.23 g, 1 cup of raspberries contains 2.29 g, 1 cup of diced watermelon contains 2.4 g, 1 kiwi contains 2.84 g, 1 cup of diced pineapple contains 2.85 g, 1 medium peach with skin contains 2.92 g, 1 cup of halved strawberries contains 3.02 g, 1 cup of blackberries contains 3.33 g and 1 plum with skin contains 3.35 g.
Higher Dextrose Fruits
Common fruits such as apples, bananas, and pears contain an intermediate amount of dextrose. One medium apple with skin contains 4.42 g of dextrose, 1 medium banana contains 5.88 g and 1 medium pear with skin contains 4.91 g. Several fruits contain high amounts of dextrose. For example, 1 cup of blueberries contains 7.22 g of dextrose, 1 cup of cherries with pits contains 9.09 g and 1 cup of red or green grapes contains 10.87 g.
Recommended Intake
All fruits are a source of naturally-occurring dextrose. Other naturally-occurring sources of dextrose include vegetables, legumes, grains and milk. The guidelines for your intake of naturally-occurring dextrose are based on total carbohydrate, rather than dextrose alone. According to MayoClinic.com, carbohydrates should make up 45 to 65 percent of your daily caloric intake. This means that, based on a 2,000 calorie diet, you should consume about 225 to 325 g of total carbohydrate. The USDA recommends that most adults consume about 2 cups of fruit every day. A 1/2 cup serving of fruit contains about 15 g of carbohydrates.
Considerations
Keep in mind that dextrose is not the only type of sugar that fruit contains. Most varieties of fruit contain sucrose and fructose in addition to dextrose. Some fruits also contain trace amounts of lactose, maltose or galactose. Besides sugar carbohydrates, fruit also contains fiber carbohydrates. Fiber is a unique carbohydrate because, unlike sugar and starch, fiber does cause an increase in blood sugar levels. Fruit in general has a low glycemic index. This means that eating a serving of fruit is unlikely to cause a potentially unsafe spike in your blood sugar levels.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Carbohydrates
- MayoClinic.com; Nutrition and Healthy Eating -- Glycemic Index Diet: Losing Weight with Blood Sugar Control, Nov. 24, 2009
- United States Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database
- GroupHealth: Well Beyond Medicine -- Sources of Glucose, David McCulloch, Jan. 30, 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Nutrition and Healthy Eating -- Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork with these Nutrition Guidelines, Feb. 22, 2011
- United States Department of Agriculture: ChooseMyPlate.gov
