Fruit sugar | Where to find fructose | How much can you consume | Benefits of fructose
Hello dear readers of our blog. One of the methods of treating diabetes, no matter what type, is diet therapy.
There are foods that you can safely consume. There are some that are available in limited quantities. And there is a prohibited list of foods.
Sugar belongs to the latter group. But sometimes you really want something sweet! I think you would all agree. What to do? After all, I don’t want to provoke complications at all, it’s so awful! What is the best substitute for sugar?
There are a lot of sweeteners on store shelves. Fructose is especially popular. This is “fruit sugar”, but is there any benefit in it?
In this article, we’ll look at the beneficial and harmful qualities of fructose. And also, can fructose replace sugar in diabetes and not harm health.
What is this “fruit sugar”?
Fructose is a monosaccharide obtained synthetically in laboratories. As a structural component, it is formulated with inulin and starch.
It is widely used for the preparation of food for athletes, diabetics and to treat poisoning, mainly alcohol poisoning.
Carbohydrates have a low glycemic index. Much sweeter than sugar.
If the sweetness of sugar is 1, then the sweetness of fructose is 1.7. That is, it can be used less both in beverages and in confectionery.
When consuming fructose, we do not feel a sense of satiety and cease to control the amount eaten. This leads to excess weight, which is especially dangerous in type 2 diabetes.
In appearance, the difference from sugar is almost imperceptible. It is a crystalline white powder. It dissolves well in water.
Once in the bloodstream, the bulk of the carbohydrate accumulates in the liver and is partially converted into glucose. But, despite this, it very little changes blood sugar indicators. For assimilation does not require additional doses of insulin.
Where can you find fructose?
It is found in pure form in berries and fruits. Most in:
- apples,
- pears,
- oranges,
- tangerines,
- dates and raisins,
- blueberries,
- persimmon,
- watermelon,
- peaches,
- strawberries, etc.
And also, in purchased fruit juices.
The minimum amount of fructose contains:
- tomatoes,
- bell pepper,
- cucumbers,
- zucchini,
- squash,
- nuts.
How much can you consume?
Without health risk fructose can be consumed:
- children — 1 g for each kg of body weight per day;
- for adults — 1.6 g per kg of body weight, but not more than 155 g per day.
What is fruit sugar good for?
Monosaccharide is a natural carbohydrate, but different from sugar.
It’s sweeter than sugar. Therefore, it can be put into tea in much smaller quantities.
By the way, fructose is better for tea than sorbitol.
The benefits are as follows:
- low calorie content,
- completely absorbed by the body,
- longer processed by the body, which does not give sudden surges in sugar,
- reduces the risk of caries,
- improves emotional state.