Fructose has been turning heads (well mine at least!) recently as studies are revealing its not a very friendly sugar. Most of us consider fructose healthy because we associate it with fruit. However, it appears fructose my be one of the more frightening forms of sugar we ingest.

In the past fructose was actually touted as the preferred sugar because it raises blood sugar only 40% as quickly as glucose. However, further research has been done to evaluate the effects of sugars on other metabolic factors and the full story (well at least more of it!) has come out. Every cell in the body is able to metabolize glucose – but only the liver can metabolize fructose. Additionally, fructose has no enzymes, vitamins or minerals so it uses micronutrients from the body for assimilation. And to top it all off, fructose is converted to fatty acids by the liver at a greater rate than is glucose.

What about fruit? In fruit the balance of sugar is actually about 50/50 fructose and glucose. It contains fiber which slows down the metabolism of both fructose and other sugars. Fruit also has enzymes and minerals that fructose uses for assimilation – therefore not leaching the body of them.

And that is why I have to say that outside of its naturally occurring locations: i.e. a piece of fruit (not manufactured fruit juice), fructose frightens me!

Sources

1. Sanda, Bill; The Double Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup
2. McVitamins High Fructose Corn Syrup