Fructose and HFCS

Fructose is sometimes called called fruit sugar because of its presence in fruit. Fructose is a monosaccharide, meaning it is a single sugar molecule consisting of six carbon atoms, six oxygen atoms and 12 hydrogen atoms. It can be absorbed quite quickly into the blood stream from your small intestines. Absorption from whole fruits is less rapid because of the presence of fiber and other phytonutrients in fruit. In addition to fruit, fructose may be present in your menu as honey or syrup or as the food additive high-fructose corn syrup (found in many beverages, salad dressings, and so on). Fructose absorption can be very rapid if the source is high-fructose corn syrup. If you have been reading labels you may have noticed how many refined and processed foods contain this product. Food companies love it because it is a low-cost sweetener: in drinks, processed and refined food such as baked goods and sweets—often eaten to excess during holiday periods. There is ongoing controversy about the level of damage this product can cause because reportedly is it associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, overweight and obesity, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.