Fruit Sugar: Friend or Foe?

We all have a sweet tooth, some more than others. 

In recent years, awareness of the dangers of white sugar has increased, but are the suggested alternatives truly healthier for us?

Recently, scientists found that consuming sucralose, for example, can harm our DNA. So, is there a sweetener that's genuinely healthy and can sweeten our days without any disease-causing extras?

And what about fructose, the sugar found in fruits, is it good for us?

Many studies have been conducted in this area, and we need to get an 'inside look' at what truly threatens us in the different types of sugars and sugar substitutes when it comes to health. 

Food manufacturers tend to add sucrose or fructose to various products, especially sweets. 

Sucrose includes things like white sugar, demerara sugar, and brown sugar, anything that isn't fruit sugar.

Fruit sugar is fructose. And then there is grape sugar, which is glucose. 

Is sugar from fructose really better than sucrose? Well, not really. 

Fruits themselves are definitely healthy. They are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals essential for our bodies. But when you start using fructose to sweeten foods, that's where the problem begins, as the sugar in each fruit equals about 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. Imagine if you eat several fruits, think about how much sugar you've consumed... 

This is exactly the problem with all kinds of fruit juices labeled 100% fruit. We naively think that consuming such juice is purely a 'boost' of health, but we forget about the fructose content in all that sweetness. 

Just to give you an idea, in a glass of 100% natural fruit juice, even one labeled 'no added sugar,' there are 20 grams of sugar, equivalent to five teaspoons (!) per glass. Whether you're trying to lose weight or simply aiming to maintain overall health and keep your body away from long-term harm, steer clear of all products labeled 'no added sugar' or 'contains natural fruit sugar.' Even if it is natural fruit sugar, it doesn't make it healthier. Ask yourself if you would drink a cup of coffee with five teaspoons of sugar, and when you realize you wouldn't, resist this temptation too.