Fruit Sugar vs. Processed Sugar: What's Better?

Fruit Sugar vs. Processed Sugar: What’s Better?

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Fruits have always been part of a nutritious diet— not quite as important as vegetables maybe, but still worthy of respect. But now that new nutrition guidelines are cracking down on sugar, some people are questioning fruits’ estimable role in a healthy diet.

At some point, I’m sure we’ve all conquered our humongous sugar addiction and replaced a sweet dessert with a piece of fruit because we knew it was better for us. But have you ever sat down and actually thought about why it’s supposed to be better?

Fruit Sugar vs. Processed Sugar: What’s better?

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What’s In Them Both?

Believe it or not, fruit sugar and processed sugar are made up of the exact same two components: Glucose and Fructose.

Fruit (along with honey, stevia and maple syrup) contain individual units of glucose and fructose, so the ratio of these can vary from fruit to fruit. However, processed sugar has the glucose and fructose molecule hooked together, which we call sucrose. Sucrose has an even 50/50 split of glucose and fructose.

So why does everyone say the sugar in fruit is better?

One of the main reasons is because processed sugar metabolizes differently in our bodies than fruit sugar. An increase in the consumption of refined/processed sugar leads to the rise in obesity rates, which is associated with higher risks of cancer and other systemic diseases.

So, it is a good idea to stock up on real fruit rather then fruit flavoured products, so that you won’t be tempted with convenient sugary foods.

How Is Glucose Used In The Body?

When you eat carbohydrates (breads, rice, fruits, sugar) your body turns them into glucose and sends it into the bloodstream to transfer to cells that need energy.

Once all the cells that need energy are filled with glucose, the remainder in our blood is stored in the liver and muscles as fat for later use.

So, any excess sugar goes directly to the fat reserves of the body. Think about it!

And Fructose?

Fructose is commonly referred to as fruit sugar and unlike glucose, can only be metabolized by the liver, meaning it doesn’t provoke an insulin response. If you eat a lot of fructose, the liver gets overloaded and turns the fructose into fat.

The 5 Best Summer Fruits, Ranked - The New York Times

So basically, if you eat more than you burn, both excess glucose and fructose are going to get stored as fat, but with fruit that has less of a chance of this happening…

Fruit Sugar vs. Processed Sugar: What’s better?

Why?

Context Lies In How The Sugar Is Being Consumed.

When you eat a piece of fruit, you’re getting a lot more than just sugar: you ingest all of the other nutrients present in the fruit like vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and water. When you eat something with added sugar, like candy, soda or other processed foods, they contain very little additional nutrients, if at all. It’s mostly sugar and fillers!

Fiber is The Key

The fiber in fruits is especially significant because when you eat fiber along with other nutrients, it slows the body’s absorption process. This means that your body has more time to use up the glucose and fructose as fuel, before being stored as fat. Fiber also helps the body feel full, so you won’t keep reaching for more fruit.

Less Sugar Dense

Another thing to note is that consuming too much sugar from fruit is really hard to do as it has less sugar by volume than processed foods so you’d have to eat large amounts to reach harmful levels of fructose. Understood?

So, Is Fruit Sugar Healthy?

Like any sugar, too much fruit sugar isn’t good for you. But compared to refined sugar, fruit is a much better option for regular consumption.

“Fruits have a lot of great nutrients in them that are important for our body,” Nutritionists say citing vitamin C, vitamin K, and fiber.

“Berries and apples also have flavonoids and antioxidants that can help in cancer and other chronic disease prevention.”

Fruit Sugar vs. Processed Sugar: What’s Better?

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To understand better about added and natural sugar, the best piece of advice we have now is to simply eat less sugar, with the whole fruit as a notable exception to this rule. Ideally, our diets should be low in sugar and high in fibre, consisting primarily of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

So next time you’re tempted to reach for that slice of cake or tub of ice cream, think about the havoc that sugar is going to wreak in your body and see if maybe you decide to eat a piece of fruit instead.

I came across a very informative article on Apple: The King of Fruits. It’s a recommended read!