Fructose: benefits and harms

Replacing regular sugar with fructose is a fairly common trend today, which many modern people practice. Related to carbohydrates, fructose is a very sweet substance that can become an alternative to sugar, but the justification and usefulness of this step requires more detailed consideration and analysis.

The body feels the need for carbohydrates. They are indispensable for metabolic processes, the most easily digestible compounds among which are monosaccharides. Along with fructose, glucose, maltose and other natural saccharides, there is also artificial, which is sucrose.

Scientists are closely studying the effect of monosaccharides on the human body from the very moment they were discovered. It is considered as a complex effect, so the positive and negative characteristics of these substances.

Content

  • 1 Distinctive properties of fructose
  • 2 What are the benefits and harms of fructose?> 3 Fructose in diabetes
  • 4 Glucose and fructose
  • 5 Fructose and sugar - which is better?

Distinctive properties of fructose

The main feature of the substance is the intestinal absorption rate. It is rather slow, that is, lower than that of glucose. However, splitting is much faster.

Calorie content is also different. Fifty-six grams of fructose contains 224 kilocalories, but the sweetness felt from eating this amount is comparable to that given by 100 grams of sugar containing 400 kilocalories.

Less is not only the quantity and calorie content of fructose, compared with sugar, required in order to feel a truly sweet taste, but also the effect that it has on enamel. It is much less fatal.

Fructose has the physical properties of a six-atom monosaccharide and is a glucose isomer, and, you see, both of these substances have a similar molecular composition, but different structural structure. It is found in small amounts in sucrose.

The biological functions performed by fructose are similar to those performed by carbohydrates. It is used by the body primarily as an energy source. When absorbed, fructose is synthesized either into fats or into glucose.

The derivation of the exact formula of fructose took a lot of time. The substance underwent many tests and only after approval was approved for use. Fructose was created largely as a result of a close study of diabetes, in particular, the study of the question of how to "force" the body to process sugar without the use of insulin. This was the main reason that scientists began to look for a substitute that does not require insulin processing.

The first sweeteners were created on a synthetic basis, but it soon became clear that they do much more harm to the body than ordinary sucrose. The result of numerous studies was the derivation of the fructose formula, which was recognized as the most optimal.

On an industrial scale, fructose began to be produced relatively recently.

What benefits and harms fructose ">

Unlike synthetic analogues, which were found to be harmful, fructose is a natural substance that differs from ordinary white sugar, obtained from various fruit and berry crops, as well as honey.

The difference concerns, first of all, calories. To feel full of sweets, you need to eat twice as much sugar as fructose. This negatively affects the body and forces a person to consume a much larger amount of sweets.

Fructose is half as much, which dramatically reduces calories, but control is important. People who are used to drinking tea with two tablespoons of sugar, as a rule, automatically put in a drink a similar amount of substitute, and not one spoon. This causes the body to become saturated with an even greater concentration of sugar.

Therefore, consuming fructose, despite the fact that it is considered a universal product, is necessary only in moderation. This applies not only to those suffering from a diabetic disease, but also to healthy people. Proof of this is that obesity in the US is primarily associated with excessive fascination with fructose.

Americans consume at least seventy kilograms of sweeteners per year. Fructose in the United States is added to carbonated drinks, pastries, chocolate and other foods manufactured by the food industry. A similar amount of sugar substitute, of course, negatively affects the state of the body.

Do not be mistaken about the relatively low calorie fructose. It has a low nutritional value, but is not dietary. The disadvantage of the sweetener is that the “moment of saturation” of sweetness occurs after some time, which creates the risk of uncontrolled consumption of fructose products, which leads to a stomach stretch.

If fructose is used correctly, then it allows you to quickly lose weight. It is much sweeter than white sugar, which contributes to less consumption of sweets, and, consequently, to a reduction in caloric intake. Instead of two spoons of sugar, put only one in tea. The energy value of the drink in this case becomes two times less.

Using fructose, a person does not experience hunger or exhaustion, refusing white sugar. He can continue to lead a familiar lifestyle without any restrictions. The only caveat is that fructose needs to be used and consumed in small quantities. In addition to the benefits for the figure, the sweetener reduces the likelihood of tooth decay by 40%.

Prepared juices contain a high concentration of fructose. For one glass, there are about five spoons. And if you drink such drinks regularly, the risk of developing colon cancer increases. An excess of the sweetener threatens diabetes, therefore, it is not recommended to drink more than 150 milliliters of fruit juice purchased per day.

Any saccharides in excess can negatively affect the health and shape of a person. This applies not only to sugar substitutes, but also to fruits. Having a high glycemic index, mangoes and bananas cannot be eaten uncontrollably. These fruits should be limited in your diet. Vegetables, on the contrary, can eat three and four servings per day.

Fructose for diabetes

Due to the fact that fructose has a low glycemic index, it is acceptable for use by those who suffer from insulin-dependent type 1 diabetes. Processing fructose also requires insulin, but its concentration is five times less than for the breakdown of glucose.

Fructose does not contribute to a decrease in sugar concentration, that is, it does not cope with hypoglycemia. This is due to the fact that all products containing this substance do not cause an increase in blood saccharides.

Those suffering from type 2 diabetes are most often obese and can consume sweeteners no more than 30 grams per day. Exceeding this norm is fraught with problems.

Glucose and fructose

They are the two most popular sweeteners. No clear evidence has been found as to which of these sweeteners is better, so this question remains open. Both sugar substitutes are breakdown products of sucrose. The only difference is that fructose is a bit sweeter.

Based on the slower absorption rate that fructose possesses, many experts advise giving preference to it rather than glucose. This is due to blood sugar saturation. The slower this occurs, the less insulin is required. And if glucose needs the presence of insulin, the breakdown of fructose occurs at an enzymatic level. This excludes hormonal surges.

Fructose can not cope with carbohydrate starvation. Only glucose can get rid of trembling limbs, sweating, dizziness, weakness. Therefore, experiencing an attack of carbohydrate starvation, you need to eat sweetness.

One piece of chocolate is enough to stabilize its state due to glucose entering the bloodstream. If fructose is present in sweets, no drastic improvement in well-being will follow. Signs of a carbohydrate deficiency will pass only after some time, that is, when the sweetener is absorbed into the blood.

This, according to American nutritionists, is the main disadvantage of fructose. Lack of satiety after consuming this sweetener provokes a person to consume a large amount of sweets. And so that the transition from sugar to fructose does not bring any harm, you need to strictly control the consumption of the latter.

Both fructose and glucose are important for the body. The first is the best sugar substitute, and the second removes toxins.

Fructose and sugar - which is better ">

For those who want to lose weight, fructose is an excellent tool that allows you not to infringe on the needs of sweets, continue to lead an active habitual lifestyle. The main thing to consider is that it saturates slowly, controlling the dosages used.