What Is Fructose? - By Christine L. Foutch
Dr. Christine Foutch is a holistic physician practicing in Rock Island, IL. The practice of holistic medicine integrates conventional and alternative therapies to prevent disease, treat disease, and most importantly promote optimal health.
What is fructose?
Fructose is one of the most common ingredients in added sugars, alongside glucose. While fructose is mostly found in table sugar, it can also be found in sugary sweeteners like agave syrup and high fructose corn syrup, which are very popular in today's diet.
Is fructose bad for the body?
The liver is the only organ in the body that can metabolize fructose. When we have an excess amount of fructose, the liver turns the fructose into fat, which can cause serious disorders that are sometimes life threatening. Excess fructose may impair your blood lipids, increase levels of uric acid, cause insulin resistance, and lead to overeating.
What about fructose from fruit?
Fructose from fruit, however, do not have these harmful effects. With fruit, you have other nutrients, like fiber, and a low calorie density. From natural sugars, in order to have a harmful amount of fructose, you have to eat a great amount of fruit and vegetables with natural sugars. However, this is very hard to achieve.
What happens when you have too much added sugars?
When you have too much added sugar, of any kind, you are putting yourself at risk for health problems like weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome. The best way to prevent the harmful effects fructose can have, is simply by cutting back. Women should have no more than 100 calories a day of added sugar, while men should have no more than 150 calories a day.
