What is the difference between fruit sugars and sweet sugars?

Question

I ask because I am trying to lose body fat, but want to stay healthy.

Answer 1

"Fruit" sugar is fructose and refined sugar ("sweet" sugar) is sucrose.

Fructose is a simple sugar (monosaccharide) is broken down by the body slowly and is converted into Sucrose and Glycogen.

Sucrose is a disaccharide (glucose + fructose). Sucrose is easily digested and provides a quick source of energy to the body, provoking a rapid rise in blood glucose upon ingestion.

Sucrose has been linked with some health problems. In the case of tooth decay, oral bacteria convert sugars (including sucrose) from food into acids that attack tooth enamel. Also, "when a large amount of foods that contain a high percentage of sucrose is consumed, beneficial nutrients can be misplaced from the diet, which can contribute to an increased risk for chronic disease." It can lead to overconsumption of calories, which may contribute to obesity. Or if you metabolism is quick enough, you can develop diabetes.

So, the general idea is that Fruit sugar is better for you than table sugar because excess sucrose causes your body's natural sugar levels to change rather quickly. Fructose is broken down more slowly which allows the body more time to react to the sugar that has been consumed. This puts less stress on the pancreas.

Answer 2

ok fruit sugars occur naturally in all fruits and in vegetables to some degree, however refined sugars (which I think is what you mean by sweet sugars), are made by taking the sugar out of a substance such as sugarcane and using a process to 'refine' it and make it so that what you get is a more pure sugar substance but one which has a much lower nutritional value.

However, in order to lose body fat, you really need to be looking not just at sugars but at calories and fat content - all foods provide calories, some like sugar are what are called 'empty' calories - these basically are calories that don't have any real nutritional value.

I lost 5 stone by cutting my fat content down to 15g of fat per meal or less, excercising regularly and trying not to overdo it on calories (some foods can be high in calories but low in fat - these tend to be things that are high in sugar content such as merainges, sweets and similar).

If you're struggling to lose weight, or need to lose a lot, it's well worth talking to your GP who may be able to refer you to a dietician who can help you create a sensible eating plan that you'll be able to stick to long term rather than trying a faddy diet which might help you lose weight quickly, but which you probably won't be able to maintain for very long, and which may not be terribley healthy in other ways.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Your question lacks clarity.

I think you are asking if there is a difference between the sugar in fruit and white, table sugar.

Sugar is sugar, it just depends on where it come from. Fruit is obviously better than the white stuff. But trying to eliminate ALL sugar from your diet is unrealistic.

Answer 4

Fruit sugar is sweet. Do you mean sugar added to processed foods as a sweetener? For the most part, sugar is sugar and your body doesn't care where it came from. It breaks it all down to glucose and uses it as an energy source. Sugar in fruit isn't somehow better for you. But it does come along with lots of nutrients and fiber your body needs, whereas sugar in a doughnut just comes along with lots of fat.

Answer 5

sweet sugars have no nutritional value and has no fiber therefore most of its carbs are bad and will spike up ur insulin which will easily lead to weight gain because more fat is produced and you crave for food more. but..fruit has fiber and it is a complex sugar.. if you want to lose weight, you should not consume sweet sugars, but if you really crave sweets you should eat a fruit instead, it's nutritional, has fiber and maintains your insulin level. the best fruit to eat is Apple because it has an adequate amount of fiber..eat carbs in the morning than at night!

Answer 6

Sugars from fruit are natural citric sugars.

The sugars we use as sweetener come from a cane similar to cinnamon, but have a different composition than the sugars contained in fruit.

Answer 7

Fructose is a natural sugar found in fruit. It is not sugar as it is naturely there so isn't high in sugar content. That's why fruit is so good for you during weight loss, as to eating cakes and sweets.

Answer 8

Fruit sugars are natural sugar and better for you

Answer 9

For starters, fruit sugar is natural, while sweet sugars are processed with chemicals.

Answer 10

Sugar is sugar, your body doesn't know the difference where you get your sugar from.

Be careful with fruit. Eat it right after you work out, but go easy on them at other times.

Love Jack