Is Fructose Bad for You? The Surprising Truth

What is fructose?

Fructose is also known in the diet as fructose . It belongs to the carbohydrate group and, like dextrose (glucose), is a simple sugar (monosaccharide). The simple sugar consists of many individual sugar molecules.

Fructose is also a component of the common table sugar, sucrose. Half of the disaccharide consists of glucose and half of fructose. Both types of sugar have the same amount of calories, namely four kcal per gram. Compared to glucose and other types of sugar, fructose has the highest sweetening power. One reason why the food industry prefers to use them in finished products. The potential health effects are skilfully ignored by the food industry.

Why do we need sugar?

Glucose is the body’s most important supplier of energy. It quickly gets from the small intestine into the blood and is indispensable for generating energy in the cells. Fructose is absorbed more slowly from the small intestine into the blood, it is not absolutely necessary, since it can only be used indirectly for energy production. Glucose travels to the liver along with insulin. Here glucose is partly converted into glycogen and stored, and partly the glucose is passed on to the body cells via the blood. This is how energy can be generated in the cells.

For a long time, fructose was used as a sweetener for diabetics because small amounts do not cause an increase in blood sugar and the fructose is processed in the liver independently of insulin. In recent years, studies have disproved the positive effects of sugar with the many health disadvantages mentioned above. Nevertheless, if there is no intolerance, fructose in smaller amounts is probably harmless for diabetics. Otherwise, fruit provides the body with important nutrients , vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Two forms of fructose

Fructose in natural foods
Fructose occurs naturally in fruit and vegetables , but also in dried fruit, honey, syrup and a number of concentrated juices. These foods contain too little fructose to supply too much fructose on a daily basis. In this way, the sugar does not have a negative effect on the body and health. A healthy organism can break it down without any problems.

Fructose in industrial foods
Many foods contain hidden sugar and are therefore not recommended in large quantities. The highly concentrated, industrially produced fructose syrup is twice as sweet as glucose and is mainly used in finished products such as sweets, ready-made cakes and industrially produced sweetened drinks such as cola. This form of sugar is considered hazardous to health. On the ingredients list of these products we find it as glucose syrup, corn syrup and isoglucose, among others.

How is fructose metabolized in the body?

Fructose is absorbed in the small intestine. From there it is transported directly to the liver via the blood. In the liver, fructose is converted into fat (triglycerides), which is stored in the liver and released into the blood. If there is an excess of fructose, which the body can only break down with difficulty or not at all, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFL) can develop. Fructose, taken in large amounts, blocks the feeling of satiety by inhibiting the satiety hormone leptin. Thus, fructose often causes more calories to be consumed, leading to the pounds and obesity. This results in cardiovascular diseases, increased blood lipid levels, diabetes and gout.

Does fructose cause belly fat?

Fructose does not have a direct influence on abdominal fat or the formation of abdominal fat. The genes decide where the body accumulates fat, which is why the fat build-up cannot be influenced. However, fructose can promote body fat gain because the sugar does not trigger a satiety signal in the body, which means that more calories than needed are quickly eaten. If more calories are consumed than consumed, the body converts this excess energy into body fat. One often reads about the bad fructose from fruit and that it is supposed to make you fat. However, the largest amount is not ingested from fruit every day, but rather from industrially produced foods that are mixed with fructose, fructose-glucose syrup or corn syrup. With two servings of fruit a day, as recommended by the German Society for Nutrition, the fructose value can hardly be exceeded. Two servings are approximately 250g.

What is fructose intolerance?

Many people cannot tolerate large amounts of sugar. In so-called fructose malasorption or fructose intolerance , the body cannot fully absorb the fruit sugar in the intestine. This leads to symptoms such as abdominal pain, flatulence and diarrhea. Fructose intolerance or malabsorption cannot be cured, but can be controlled through diet. Since fructose is found in finished products, drinks and fruit such as apples, pears and mangoes, as well as dried fruit, these foods should be avoided. But you don’t have to do without fruit completely:

Which fruits and vegetables have a lot/little fructose?

How do I lower my fructose consumption?

In order to absorb less fructose, you can rely on low-fructose fruit and vegetables. When shopping, look at the list of ingredients for each food. Large amounts of fructose are often hidden in many industrially processed foods such as sauces, canned meals, broth, pastries, frozen pizza and sweets. This also applies to juices and smoothies, which are often sold as particularly healthy and without added sugar. However, they only contain water, the juice of a large amount of fruit and therefore also a lot of fructose. Light-sensitive vitamins are also quickly lost and dietary fiber is not retained. With a smoothie or juice you absorb much more fructose than if you use fruit in its natural form. The best way to avoid these fructose traps is to cook and bake yourself. So you always know what you are eating. In addition, home-cooked food often contains fewer calories, which prevents you from gaining weight.