What is Fructose? What is fructose? Fructose is a natural sugar found in many fruits, vegetables, and honey. It is the sweetest of the naturally occurring nutritive (caloric) sweeteners and has many unique functional and nutritional properties that make it a valuable food ingredient. What are the most significant dietary sources of fructose? Fructose is also found in sucrose (table sugar), honey, agave nectar, fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates, pure crystalline fructose and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

Functionality & Use What are the primary foods and beverages in which fructose is used? Why has the production of fructose Primary applications for crystalline risen in the past 30 years? fructose include dry mix beverages, For one simple reason: fructose low calorie products, enhanced or is a high quality ingredient with flavored water, still and carbonated many useful physical and functional beverages, sports and energy drinks, properties. In addition to sweetness, chocolate milk, breakfast cereals, fructose provides flavor enhancement, baked goods, yogurt, fruit packs and mixes well with other sweeteners and confections. starches, extends the shelf life of acidic beverages, improves humectancy and protects fruit textures in frozen foods. Metabolism and a Low What are the benefits of crystalline Glycemic Index Availability fructose use in foods and beverages? How is fructose metabolized? Are there different types of fructose? Because pure crystalline fructose is The metabolism of fructose has Fructose is found in many places. sweeter than sugar, less of it is used been studied for decades and is well People often think of high fructose in products to achieve the same level documented in the scientific literature. corn syrup (HFCS) when they think of of sweetness. Thus, pure crystalline Fructose is metabolized primarily fructose, however HFCS is more like fructose can be used in making by the liver. Fructose is not toxic to sucrose (sugar) than fructose. A lesser lower-sugar and lower-calorie foods. the liver, as has been suggested. known source of fructose is crystalline Consumer research from the Calorie Regardless of the fructose source fructose. Pure crystalline fructose Control Council shows that 187 million (e.g., fruits, vegetables, honey, HFCS, consists of only fructose, while sucrose adult Americans are incorporating crystalline fructose or table sugar) it is and HFCS contain almost equal low-calorie and sugar-free foods and metabolized using the same pathways. amounts of fructose and glucose. The beverages into their diet as part of a healthy lifestyle. People will continue Can people with diabetes consume ratio of glucose to fructose in HFCS fructose? varies, but is typically around 55% to demand a greater variety of low fructose and 45% glucose — about the calorie products as they strive to make Yes. Fructose has a low glycemic index same percentages found in sucrose or healthier food choices. and does not lead to the same spikes table sugar. Fructose has been used in whole in blood sugar or insulin that result from glucose consumption. In addition, What has been the impact of new categories of food and beverage products, such as shelf-stable nutrition the excellent sweetness of fructose crystalline fructose on the amount means that less of it is required to of total dietary fructose consumed? bars, soft moist cookies, pourable frozen juice concentrates and energy- sweeten foods or beverages and Pure crystalline fructose has had a reduced products. this can translate to fewer calories negligible effect on the amount of total consumed. dietary fructose consumed because It has also been suggested that of the small volume of this sugar fructose be used for individuals with produced relative to all other naturally special dietary or nutritional needs, like occurring and added starches, syrups endurance athletes. and sweeteners. Because pure crystalline fructose is sweeter than sugar, less of it is used in products to achieve the same level of sweetness, which also contributes to its negligible effect on total fructose intake. Health & Safety References Is fructose safe? Dolan LC, Potter SM, Burdock GA. Evidence- Sucrose and HFCS have long been Based Review on the Effect of Normal Dietary considered Generally Recognized Consumption of Fructose on Blood Lipids As Safe (GRAS). As a significant and Body Weight of Overweight and Obese component of these two sweeteners, Individuals. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2010. 50(10):889–918. the safety of fructose has been thoroughly documented in several Dolan LC, Potter SM, Burdock GA. Evidence- scientific reviews performed by the based review on the effect of normal dietary consumption of fructose on development of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hyperlipidemia and obesity in healthy, normal and other expert panels. weight individuals. Critical Reviews in Food The FDA concluded, “High fructose Science and Nutrition. 2010. 50(1):53-84. corn syrup is as safe for use in food as Forbes AL, Bowman BA, Filer LJ, Glinsmann sucrose, corn syrup and invert sugar.” WH, White JS. Health effects of dietary fructose. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1993. An International Life Sciences Institute 58(5):7215-8235. (ILSI) Expert Panel concluded, “fructose is a valuable, traditional source of Ha et al. Effect of Fructose on Blood Pressure—A food energy, and there is no basis for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Feeding Trials. Hypertension. 2012. recommending increases or decreases 59(4):787-795. in its use in the general food supply or in special dietary use products.” Lowndes et al. The effects of four hypocaloric diets containing different levels of sucrose or A Joint Consultation of the World high fructose corn syrup on weight loss and Health Organization and the United related parameters. Nutrition Journal. 2012. 11:55. Nations Food and Agriculture Sievenpiper et al. Effect of Fructose on Organization found that consumption Body Weight in Controlled Feeding Trials—A Should consumers be concerned of sugars is not a causative factor in Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Annals of about recent reports in the media of any disease, including obesity. Internal Medicine. 2012. 156(4):291-304. problematic effects for fructose? Are there any documented health Sievenpiper et al. ‘Catalytic’ doses of fructose Fructose is not responsible for may benefit glycaemic control without harming risks for fructose? the obesity epidemic or any other cardiometabolic risk factors: a small meta- The only proven health risk of nutritive analysis of randomised controlled feeding trials. health issues the U.S. is facing. British Journal of Nutrition. 2012. 108(3):418-23. sweeteners at typical consumption Obesity is a multi-faceted condition levels is dental caries (also known as brought on by several factors, not Song et al. Is obesity development associated tooth decay). When compared to all with dietary sugar intake in the U.S.? Nutrition. just one. Allegations that fructose 2012. 28(11-12):1137–1141. other sugars, fructose is among the causes increased fat production or least likely to cause tooth decay. increased appetite are based on Sun SZ, Anderson HG, Flickinger BD, Williamson- poorly constructed experiments which Hughes PS, Empie MW. Fructose and non- Is there good evidence to support fructose sugar intakes in the US population and recent claims for a unique role for often test unrealistically high levels their associations with indicators of metabolic fructose in the global epidemic of of fructose, much higher than the syndrome. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2011. obesity? levels found in a typical human diet. 49(11):2875–2882. These studies are also often carried USDA. ERS Food Availability (Per Capita) Data No. Such claims are based on out in animals that are poor models System. Available at: http://www.ers.usda.gov/ unproven hypotheses and statistical for human fructose metabolism. data-products/sugar-and-sweeteners-yearbook- correlation, not scientific data. There is Consequently, the findings from tables.aspx#25512. Accessed December 4, 2012. no evidence to support a unique role these studies are extreme, and not Wang et al. The Effects of Fructose Intake on for fructose in the global epidemic of applicable to real-life situations. Serum Uric Acid Vary Among Controlled Dietary obesity. In fact, data has shown that Trials. Journal of Nutrition. 2012. 142(5):916-29. Americans’ intake of calories from Would limiting pure crystalline White. Challenging the Fructose Hypothesis: sugar has stayed the same or gone fructose or HFCS in the diet impact global obesity? New Perspectives on Fructose Consumption and down in the past decade, while the Metabolism. Advances in Nutrition. 2013. intake of calories from fat has gone up. Limiting fructose or HFCS in the diet would not have an impact on global obesity. Food formulators would simply reformulate products by substituting alternate sweeteners, many of which contain fructose as one of their components. Further, obesity is a global phenomenon while HFCS is primarily used in the United States. Obesity rates in Europe and South America are high whereas these areas do not use HFCS as a sweetening agent for food and beverages.