Fructose is a natural sugar present in fruits, fruit juices, certain vegetables, and honey. In these forms, fructose sugars can be part of a nutritious diet.
Fructose is a very sweet, naturally occurring caloric sweetener. It can come from fruits, fruit juices, honey, and even some vegetables.
Pure fructose is also much sweeter than other types of sugar. As a result, people can use less fructose than other sugars in cooking to achieve the same sweetness.
The most significant sources of fructose in the diet include:
- table sugar
- Honey
- Cocacola
- Donuts,cakes
- fruit juices
- baked goods, sodas, and other processed foods
However, fructose is also a component of high fructose corn syrup, which manufacturers make from corn starch and add to foods such as sodas and candies. These foods are less nutritious, but a person can eat them in moderation.
Researchers are studying the links between high fructose foods and obesity, diabetes, and even some cancers. However, some evidence indicates that fructose is not necessarily a public health concern when a person consumes it in moderation.
This article covers whether fructose is bad for health, the different types of sugar, and the research into their effects on the human body.
Fructose comes from natural foods, such as honey or fruits, and it can be healthy as part of a balanced diet. However, people should Trusted Source limit their intake of processed forms of fructose, including high fructose corn syrup.
Some research suggests fructose can adversely affect a person’s health in several ways.
Obesity
Researchers in a 2017 literature review 1 Trusted Source found evidence that consuming excessive amounts of fructose may lead to a greater risk of obesity and related conditions, such as metabolic syndrome.
They also found that excess fructose consumption may have links to an increased development of fat, as it may alter how the body breaks down fats and carbohydrates.
Moreover, fructose consumption could lead to increased food consumption, as it may not make people feel as full.
Learn facts and statistics about obesity.
Insulin resistance
The same 2017 reviewTrusted 1 Source found excess amounts of dietary fructose seemed to cause inflammation that could lead to insulin resistance.Insulin resistance means glucose can build up in the blood, causing a range of health problems, including type 2 diabetes.
A 2016 study discovered similar results. The research looked at the effects of fructose-rich drink consumption in those aged 12–16 years in Taiwan. People who drank more fructose-rich drinks had higher levels of insulin resistance.
Liver problems
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH)Trusted Source, fructose consumption could lead to an increased risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. In this condition, the body stores too much fat in the liver cells.
The results of someTrusted Source studies have confirmed this finding, although othersTrusted Source have stated there is no correlation.
Fatty liver disease can lead to liver damage and inflammation, which can lead to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a serious condition that can cause:
liver scarring
liver cancer
liver failure
Colorectal cancer
Researchers in one 2021 2 studyTrusted Source on mice found that consuming too much fructose can promote intestinal tumor growth.
A 2019 study Trusted Source, also on mice, had similar findings. Researchers wrote that in mice prone to developing intestinal tumors, high fructose corn syrup seemed to make the tumors more aggressive and cause them to grow faster, but they were not sure why.
The newer study found that the fructose did not cause Trusted Source the tumor cells to grow faster, but it caused them to survive for a longer time. Researchers also found that fructose made the mice with colorectal cancer more likely to experience anemia, which has links to lower survival rates in both mice and humans with the condition.
However, further studies on humans are necessary to confirm the effects of fructose on cancer.
Fructose vs. glucose
Fructose can bind to glucose to make sucrose, or table sugar.
Unlike fructose, the body largely breaks glucose down in the cells. The small intestine usually absorbs this sugar and sends it out to the body’s cells for energy. The body digests fructose with glucose more easily than fructose alone.
When a person consumes glucose, the chemical structure of the compound triggers the pancreas to release insulin, a hormone that allows cells to use glucose for energy.
Fructose does not triggerTrusted Source insulin release or the release of hormones, such as leptin, which tells the brain that a person is full. It also does not inhibit hormones that tell an individual’s body that they are hungry.
As a result, fructose may lead to weight gain because it may contribute to overeating.
In a 2017 studyTrusted Source on mice quoted in the NIHTrusted Source news archives, researchers split mice on a standard, low fat diet into two groups. One group received added glucose and the other fructose. Both groups of mice gained weight. However, the rodents on a high fat diet that received fructose gained significantly more weight than mice on the same diet with added glucose.