Fructose sugar, definition and description of this carbohydrate

Fructose is a carbohydrate (or “sugar”) that is found mostly in fruits and honey in its natural form. There is also synthetic fructose made in the laboratory. The sweetening power of fructose is higher than that of glucose, that is to say that at equal dose fructose has a sweeter taste. In addition, its use by the body is not the same. This can therefore be a considerable advantage in certain situations: diabetes, digestive disorders, etc.

The characteristics of fructose sugar:

Natural sugar contained in fruits and honey
Easy to digest
Sugaring power greater than that of glucose
Does not induce insulin secretion
Interesting to replace sucrose in case of diabetes

Why consume foods high in fructose

Benefits

Fructose and diabetes

Diabetics have been found to be more supportive of fructose than other sweeteners. However, fructose does not delay the onset of diabetes. In addition, fructose does not require the intervention of insulin to enter the cells which avoids feeding the insulin resistance often linked to overconsumption of glucose and the cause of diabetes. Finally, fructose provides a slowly used energy, which avoids the peaks of blood sugar often related to the consumption of products rich in glucose or sucrose.

Easy to digest

Fructose does not overload the pancreatic system and is easier to digest than sucrose.

Where to find fructose?

Here is a list of 15 foods that contain the most fructose:

Foods	Portion	Fructose amount (g)
Honey	100g	39
Date	100g	25
Fig	100g	24
Jam of blackberries	100g	20
Raspberry jam	100g	19
Prune	100g	9
Grapes	100g	7
Canned fishing	100g	4
Pineapple juice	100g	3
Orange	100g	3
Fresh peach	100g	1
Artichoke	100g	2
Tomato	100g	1
Zucchini	100g	1
Mushroom	100g	0.1

How to use fructose well

Use of fructose powder

It is now possible to buy powdered fructose from pharmacies or the specialist departments of some supermarkets. Powdered fructose can be used either for recovery in athletes and for the purpose of reconstituting glycogen stores, or in diabetics to replace sucrose.

As a substitute for sucrose, fructose can be added to yogurts, puddings or desserts requiring little cooking. Beware, its sweetening power is superior, it is necessary to think to put half less than the amount of sugar initially necessary in the recipe.

Fructose syrup

Fructose syrup often refers to a glucose-fructose syrup (or corn syrup) that is increasingly used by the agri-food industries. Fructose syrup is a great way to increase the sweetness of a low-cost formula, and to get people to eat more and more sweetened foods. Currently, fructose syrup is singled out because it increases the risk of obesity, liver disease and cardiovascular disease. It is therefore recommended to focus on foods that are sources of natural fructose and to avoid all foods to which fructose syrup has been added.

Fruits rich in fructose

Fruits rich in fructose are the most natural and least dangerous way to consume this natural sugar and enjoy the sweet pleasure it provides. In a varied and balanced diet, consumption of up to 3 fruits per day is recommended. Beyond that, the fructose load on the day exceeds the need and can lead to weight gain.

Undesirable effects and fructose intolerance

There is currently no consensus on fructose consumption.

Consequence of a fructose deficiency

There are no studies on possible fructose deficiency. However, if fruit is removed from foods as part of a fructose intolerance, care should be taken to provide enough vitamin C in the diet.

Consequences of an excess of fructose

When fructose is consumed in large quantities (more than 50g per day), there is the appearance of digestive disorders (bloating, flatulence or diarrhea). In addition, in the long term, an excess of fructose can tire the liver and cause health problems related to the proper functioning of this organ.

Fructose intolerance

In the case of proven fructose intolerance, sugars, honey, legumes, industrial products and all sweeteners derived from fructose (such as sorbitol, maltitol or xylitol) are completely eliminated.

Interaction of Fructose with Glucose

Cumulating a diet high in fructose and glucose does not seem to be a good idea for the health of the body. It seems that these two molecules taken together and in excess would all the more quickly promote obesity and certain pathologies (liver, diabetes, cardiovascular, etc.).

Chemical Properties

Fructose is an ose (simple sugar) of the ketosis family. It is found in its raw form in abundance in fruits or honey. Coupled with a molecule of glucose, it forms the so-called white sugar sucrose. Fructose also enters the composition of lactulose, raffinose and many other osids.

Both fructose and glucose are simple sugars. Their chemical formulas are close and differ only in the location of a carbon, so they are epimers.

The fructose formula is C6H12O6, its molecular weight is 180,156.

History of Fructose

Fructose has been known for a very long time as a natural constituent of fruit and honey. It was only in the 1970s, however, that fructose began to interest American manufacturers for its many properties. Thus, glucose-fructose syrup has begun to be used extensively for the manufacture of sodas, sweets and other sugary industrial products. It is only in recent years that scientists have begun to question the explosive consumption of fructose imposed by the food industry. What will be the consequences on our health? Case to follow.