Fruit sugar

Fruit sugar, also known as fructose, is a simple ketonic monosaccharide found in many plants, where it is often bonded to glucose to form the disaccharide sucrose. It is one of the three dietary monosaccharides, along with glucose and galactose, that are absorbed directly into the bloodstream during digestion. Fructose was discovered by French chemist Augustin-Pierre Dubrunfaut in 1847.

Sources of Fruit Sugar

Fructose is found in honey, tree and vine fruits, flowers, berries, and most root vegetables. Commercially, fructose is derived from sugar cane, sugar beets, and maize. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a mixture of glucose and fructose as monosaccharides. Sucrose is a compound with one molecule of glucose covalently linked to one molecule of fructose.

Health Effects

While fructose is a natural sugar found in fruits, it can have different health effects depending on the source and quantity consumed. Consuming fructose from whole fruits is generally considered healthy due to the presence of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. However, consuming large amounts of fructose in the form of added sugars, particularly in sweetened beverages, can lead to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

See Also

• Glucose
• Sucrose
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Monosaccharide
• Disaccharide