Why fructose is useful | Harm from fructose | Sugar replacement
The most “hot” topic when mentioning fructose is its benefits and harms. At the moment, there are hundreds of studies with mutually exclusive results. The constant debate in academia confuses consumers, advertisers and marketers make good use of this.
Why fructose is useful
It’s no secret that the discovery of fructose revolutionized the food industry. The advent of the sugar substitute has created a separate group of goods — diabetic. It was obvious that it raised blood sugars at a slower rate. This means that millions of diabetics could avoid hyperglycemia after eating sweets.
This is due to the peculiarities of its assimilation by the body. Unlike sugar, which almost instantly turns into glucose and enters the bloodstream, fructose enters the liver. There it accumulates and turns into glucose only when the body feels the need for it.
Fructose has a much lower glycemic index than sugar. The glycemic index is 20, while sugar is 70.
Another advantage of this sweetener is sweetness. Fructose is 1.7 times sweeter than sucrose. This means that when preparing a product, it can be used less, which reduces the total carbohydrate and calorie content of the dish. It should be noted that the calorie content per 100 grams is 399 kcal. And this is even slightly more than that of sugar (387 kcal). The amount of carbohydrates per 100 grams is 97.98 grams.
Also, there is no dental caries from fructose. This is why it is used in many chewing gums and toothpastes.
Harm from fructose
To be honest, a year ago I would have confidently asserted that fructose is very harmful. But recent research has convinced me otherwise. That is why I decided to rewrite this article, trying to convey to you, my beloved readers, more recent and proven facts about this sugar substitute.
- Fact 1. Most of the studies pointing to the negative effects of fructose on the liver have been conducted only in mice. Rodent metabolism is different from that of humans, and the results cannot be extrapolated to humans.
- Fact 2. Even from the analysis of the few human experiments, there is no evidence that the sweetener can cause fatty disease. Dr. Kerry Mills has analyzed more than 60 studies related to the effects of the substance on the liver. Her conclusions are as follows — during the experiments there was no control over the diet of the subjects. Any other food could be the cause of their liver problems.
- Fact 3. There are experiments, which have been carried out correctly, and which prove that switching from sugar to fructose in the diet lowers blood sugar.
- Fact 4. It does not increase cholesterol, it does not increase insulin resistance and it does not disturb metabolism.
Also, Dr. Mills says to remember that fructose is a carbohydrate. And with its excessive use, body weight will increase and all diseases associated with obesity will appear.
Can fructose replace sugar in diabetes?
This is the conclusion we can draw from all the information above.
Fructose for diabetes is not harmful if:
- Follow the daily allowance when using powdered sugar substitute.
- Carbohydrates from fruits and other products with fructose are counted separately, and do not exceed the norm of 4 bread units.
With type 1 diabetes, and other insulin-dependent types, you need to experimentally look at how fast sugar rises after consuming a sweetener. And inject insulin, taking into account this growth.
Fructose in type 2 diabetes mellitus, with adherence to daily norms, can facilitate the diet. Since the sweetener is sweeter than sugar, it can be used as a substitute for sugar in foods such as jams. After all, using everyone’s favorite stevia in dishes with a high sweetness content is difficult — bitterness appears.
The most beneficial fructose for diabetics is found in fruits and honey. Try to use powdered sweetener only when absolutely necessary. After all, we must not forget that it is precisely strictly controlling carbohydrate intake that helps to largely avoid diabetic complications. And if you decide to eat a carbohydrate, make it healthy.
Try to limit store products with fructose too. There are many diabetic sweets that are healthier because they contain less carbohydrates.