Fructose: Friend or foe to your waistline?

Eating fructose will make you fat and unhealthy. And it is definitely not a diabetic friendly food.

Fructose is a monosaccharide (single sugar) that is found in fruits and some vegetables. However, it is also found in sucrose – better known as table sugar.

There is growing evidence to suggest that an excessive fructose intake has the potential to negatively impact metabolic health in a number of ways.

Up to one in three of us also experience a common condition known as fructose malabsorption or “dietary fructose intolerance” (DTI), which occurs when cells on the surface of the intestines can’t break down fructose efficiently.

“This can result in an increased concentration of fructose in the entire intestine, which can lead to bloating, discomfort and other issues,” Dr Jivan says.

“According to analysis of clinical trials evaluating fructose intake, 25-40g of fructose per day is totally safe.

“However if you have fructose malabsorption you need to keep your fructose intake to less than 25g a day. That’s three to six bananas or two to three apples per day.”

How to cut down on fructose in your diet

People who have fructose intolerance should limit high-fructose foods, such as juices, apples, grapes, watermelon, asparagus, peas and zucchini. Some lower fructose foods — such as bananas, blueberries, strawberries, carrots, avocados, green beans and lettuce — may be tolerated in limited quantities with meals.

Read product labels carefully and avoid foods containing:

• Fructose
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Honey
• Agave syrup
• Invert sugar
• Maple-flavored syrup
• Molasses
• Palm or coconut sugar
• Sorghum