DO YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP SUGAR to be healthy? No, you don’t have to give up your fruit. Today we look at fructose and you.
If you don’t have fructose intolerance, please carry on with your tomatoes, watermelons, grapes, and apples. Fructose is ubiquitous; it would be quite challenging to rid your diet completely of the substance.
Today, I want to explore easy pickings. Let’s examine the dietary elements that can propel you to better health without making you miserable. We’ll focus on beverages that are chock full of sugar (including one that may surprise you)
What is fructose?
Fructose joins glucose as the two major components of added sugar. Fructose is a sugar found naturally in fruits, fruit juices, some vegetables, and honey.
Fructose is a substance in table sugar (sucrose), composing 50 percent of sucrose. The other half is glucose, an important energy source for our cells. Glucose from the Greek word for sweet.
Glucose comes from the Greek word for “sweet.” It’s a type of sugar you get from foods you eat, and your body uses it as a primary energy source.
Here’s the thing: We metabolize glucose and fructose quite differently. Each of our cells can use glucose, but the liver is the only organ that can metabolize fructose in significant volumes.
When you or I consume a diet rich in fructose and calories, our liver gets overwhelmed and begins to convert the fructose into fat.
I join many health care providers in believing that too much fructose consumption may be a significant driver of numerous diseases. We believe that among the disorders associated with excessive fructose are type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and cancer.
More research studies are required to prove these observations, with some debate about how much fructose adds to these health problems. Still, there is less controversy about the wrong kind of fructose being unhealthy.
FRUCTOSE AND YOUR HEALTH
Before mass-produced refined sugar, humans generally did not consume it in large amounts. The sweet fruits and vegetables we enjoy have relatively small amounts of fructose.
Enter high-fructose corn syrup. If you see sugar as a primary ingredient in that food or drink you are considering, the chances are high that it has a lot of fructose. The American Heart Association recommends this:
Women should limit their added sugar consumption to five teaspoons, while men should consume no more than nine teaspoons daily.
Unfortunately, the average American adult, teenager, and child take in approximately 17 teaspoons of added sugar daily, or about 270 calories. Americans consume too many added sugars.
Added sugar sources
This morning, I had a cup of Earl Grey tea with a tiny amount of Manuka honey. Added sweeteners — such as my honey or sugar packets — are not the primary culprits; in the U.S. diet, most added sugar is in prepared or processed foods. Think cookies, pastries, and ice cream (but you may not have considered certain yogurts and breakfast cereals).
Let’s get more specific. In the American diet, the top sources of added sugar are as follows:
- Sugar-sweetened beverages — 24 percent
- Desserts and sweetened snacks — 19 percent
- Coffee and tea — 11 percent
- Candy and sugars — 9 percent
- Sandwiches — 7 percent
- Breakfast cereals and bars — 7 percent
- Higher fat milk and yogurt — 4 percent
- Other sources — 19 percent
Next, let’s break down sugar-sweetened beverages. Soft drinks represent 16 percent of overall sugar intake; fruit drinks five percent, sports and energy drinks two percent, and other sources one percent.
Regarding desserts and sweet snacks, cookies and brownies represent six percent of Americans’ added sugar consumption. Another five percent is in the form of ice cream and frozen dairy desserts, with four percent coming from cakes and pies. Another three percent is from doughnuts, sweet rolls, and pastries. Other dietary sources represent another one percent.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025 recommends that all Americans (at least two years old) limit dietary added sugars to less than 10 percent of our total calories.
For example, if I consume 2000 calories daily, I should limit my sugar intake to 200 calories of 50 grams daily (approximately 12 teaspoons of sugar). Those under age two should not consume solids with any added sugars.
The American Heart Association (AHA) reminds us to drastically cut back on added sugar to help slow the obesity and heart disease epidemics.
Too much fructose has health consequences.
There are significant consequences to the overconsumption of sugar, including fructose.
Fructose malabsorption
Some individuals have trouble with fructose malabsorption. Symptoms may include excessive gas and gastrointestinal discomfort. Fortunately, while sometimes challenging to diagnose, fructose malabsorption can respond to dietary restriction.
Those with fructose malabsorption typically respond by avoiding foods with high fructose levels (for example, more fructose than glucose). Troublesome dietary elements may include food and beverages sweetened with fructose or high-fructose corn syrup. Honey can be problematic, too.
To get the rest of the story about fructose and you, please use this free “Friend” link to my article on Medium.com:
The information I provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you seek medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this blog.
