We have previously discussed how harmful fructose can be and its noxious effects on our health, so today we will focus on clarifying why the fructose found in fruits is the exception that proves the rule.
Fructose is naturally found, along with glucose, in fruits and honey, and in really small amounts in vegetables, beans and legumes, grains, nuts and seeds. For commercial purposes, fructose is extracted from plants such as cane, beetroot and corn.
The daily fructose intake considered to be safe for the human body is estimated between 24 and up to 50 g. (1, 2) However, be advised that this amount includes both the fructose found naturally, but also the one hidden in various products.
For a better understanding of the difference between the fructose naturally found in foods and the added one, let’s consider the following example:
There are approximately 54 g of sugar, 27 g of which coming from fructose, in a 0.5l bottle of soft drink. In order to consume the same amount of fructose, you could have 3 medium pears or 4 medium bananas or 5.5 kg of apricots or 5 big oranges. If added fructose manages to trick the satiety and hunger hormones, leptin and ghrelin (here you can read more on this matter) into not reacting, the one found in whole foods (fruits and vegetables) has some advantages that decrease its negative impact on the human body.
Fructose + water + fiber = satiety!
Being rich in fiber and water, the texture of fruits (whole) induces chewing resistance, hence forcing us to eat more slowly and benefit from feeling full for a longer period of time. A soda might easily vanish into thin air but that’s not the case with fruits because there’s only so much you can eat at once.
Fructose + vitamins&minerals = Health!
Apart from great amounts of fiber, fruits contain significant quantities of vitamins ((A, B1, B2, B6, C, folic acid), minerals (Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Potassium, Phosphorus), antioxidants (which inhibit the imminent process of cell oxidation that leads to the release of free radicals, so noxious to the human body (7)) and phytochemicals (these are components that plants have created in order to protect themselves, not essential for the human body, however bringing irrefutable advantages (6)).
The benefits of fruits are beyond a shadow of a doubt considerably higher than their content in fructose:
- help prevent cancer;
- lower the bad cholesterol (LDL) and high blood pressure;
- improve the heart and artery condition (3);
- fight type 2 diabetes (4);
- better cognitive disorders: depression, dementia and delirium (5);
- boost the energy level;
- help the digestive system and maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract.
Check out the table below in order to better assess the daily quantity of fruits you should consume based upon their content of fructose (per 100 grams). For instance, don’t worry too much about how many apricots you eat but try having no more than 1-2 bunches of grapes as their fructose content is one of the highest.
The message regarding limiting fructose consumption refers strictly to free fructose, the one that is not chained to fiber, as the one in fruits is. It’s highly unlikely for someone on a low sugar diet to exceed the recommended dose of fructose from fruits (whole) alone.
Since we have now blown away the “if fructose is bad what about fruit?” myth, there’s nothing keeping you from satisfying your sweet tooth in a healthy way, right?
