Fructose
Fructose is called fructose or Levulose. Scientificly, it is a mono sugar that is naturally abundant in fruits and honey. , As it is found more than 10% in honey, dates, raisins, molasses and figs, and it is found in 5-10% in grapes, apples, nuts and blueberries Fructose is the same chemical formula for glucose glucose, C6H12O6, but the arrangement of its atoms varies so that the taste buds in the tongue stimulate the sensation of sweetness more. Fructose is also found in many food products, such as soft drinks, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, sweetened fructose sweeteners and others , And most of the fructose eaten by human food products, and because it is sweeter than the sugar table is used by many in the diets of weight loss, diabetes and others, as the sweetness reduces the amount used by the person to get the level of sweetness of the same table sugar , In this article we will learn about fructose and scientific truth to use as an alternative to table sugar.
Effect of added sugars in health
Sugar consumed in the diet is divided into two types: natural sugar derived from fruits, vegetables, milk, grains, and added sugar. In the past period, the use of sugar added to food has been increased. Fructose is one of these sugars added to food. To serve as a preservative in the jams industry, and to equate acidity in products made of tomatoes and vinegar. .
Eating sugars in general, including fructose in moderate and moderate quantities, adds to the pleasure and pleasure of diet without the negative effect on health, but increasing the intake affects health in two ways. The first is by giving empty calories, that is, it gives calories without supplying the body Which increases the chance of obesity and weight gain, especially since many of these foods also contain high levels of fat , And the intake of fructose in large quantities of the opportunity to increase the weight of the same as other sugars added , The second is by raising the chance of tooth decay .
Fructose and its effect on health
In general, it is recommended to reduce the intake of foods containing large amounts of added sugars, especially fructose, which is recommended to eat in limited quantities, like other sugars .
After fructose uptake, it is transferred to the liver where it is converted to glucose. In general, fructose metabolism stimulates lipid formation, and so many studies have found a rise in blood lipid levels after fructose intake. In one study of children aged 6-14 years , Which studied many of the factors that dealt with fructose, the most important, the study found an increase in the level of triglycerides, and low level of good cholesterol (HDL), and found that the size of molecules of bad cholesterol (LDL) was smaller in children with an increase in weight, Fructose was found to be the only factor In the diet associated with this effect on the bad cholesterol molecules, therefore, the intake of Fructose may increase the risk of future cardiovascular disease. Fructose is also increased by the production of uric acid, which reduces the level of nitric oxide, which plays an important role in the relaxation of the vessels Blood circulation and blood circulation .
In diabetics, it is not recommended to rely on fructose as an alternative to table sugar despite its low glycemic index, because of its negative effect on lipid .
In addition, intake of high-fructose corn syrup, which is used as a added sugar in many food products, may be a cause of abdominal pain, feeling of bloating and other symptoms of the digestive system in many people, because of the so-called risk of fructose sugar, A study found that fructose intake caused many gastrointestinal symptoms, which were found in three out of every four people involved in the study, which included 183 people. The symptoms rose with the high consumption of fructose-containing products, as in recent years .
It should be noted here that the guidelines to reduce the consumption of fructose sugar meant fructose added to food products, while should not be concerned about the intake of fructose found in fruits .