Fructose

bradp1979

What is everyone's opinion on the amount of sugar we should take in daily from natural sources such as fruits and vegetables?

For those who don't know about the different types of sugar, there are unrefined, natural sugars like fructose and glucose, which don't cause your blood sugar to spike, and the refined sugars, like corn syrup and table sugar, which do. All sugar which you take in gets turned into glucose, and either burned immediately as fuel or stored in your liver for later use. Once your liver is "full" of glucose, the excess is stored elsewhere in your body, as body fat.

Simple carbs are essentially just sugar, and spikes your blood sugar level and should be avoided. However, fruits and vegetables come with the added benefit of fiber to help remove excess glucose before it can be stored as fat. The sugars in fruit are still high though, so I'm sure they should be limited.

Anyone have any idea what that limit should be? I've heard anywhere from 1-6 cups/pieces of fruit a day. I tend to eat closer to 6.

mdandres

Well, in terms of the goal for Americans set by the USDA for fruits, you should try and get 2 cups of fruit per day. Check www.choosemyplate.gov

As to what you've said about simple sugars, fructose is actually a simple sugar. Monosaccharides and disaccharides are simple sugars that are more easily broken down by your body and digested quickly which spikes your blood sugar. Fructose is a monosaccharide and has a relatively easier time entering your blood stream. Eating complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, will maintain your blood sugar levels.

Also, I don't know that fiber removes excess glucose from your system, but what I do know is that it binds with bile and LDL's to be defecated, thereby lowering your LDL's (the bad ones).

All that being said, you have a RDA (recommended dietary allowance) for sugar anyways. It is better to get it from whole foods like fruits as opposed to sweets and stuff so I say go for it.

SideSteel

natural sugars like fructose and glucose, which don't cause your blood sugar to spike

Yes they do.

Once your liver is "full" of glucose, the excess is stored elsewhere in your body, as body fat.

But in a hypocaloric diet any fatty acids will just be oxidized as fuel.

Simple carbs are essentially just sugar, and spikes your blood sugar level and should be avoided.

Simple carbs do not need to be avoided.

I would first read this:
weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319

I wouldn't worry about sugar provided that (and these conditions matter):

1) You aren't diabetic.
2) You are able to utilize some common sense with food selection. (Within this I'd also include reasonable macro intake)
3) You are active and eating in a calorie deficit.

rml_16

I don't even track sugar. I'm very healthy. I don't have diabetes. I like fruit. I mostly avoid refined sugar simply because I avoid the foods that have it because I try to eat as healthy as possible. But I have an occasional treat. I eat 5-plus servings of fruit a day. Yum.

davert123

I eat as much fruit as I want which sometimes is a lot.
I do what i can to keep well clear of refined sugar as I am sugar senstitve and start craving it - makes me go hypoglycemic and moody as well.
I sometimes use fructose if I am going to make a cake or something - even when I'm not dieting. The lower GI really helps my head if not my waste.

LadyBeryl

I get almost all of my fructose from fruits and veggies. I avoid prepared foods that add sugar -- fructose or sucrose -- but not a fanatic about it.

itsjilly

I am limiting mine. found this article earlier

http://www.shape.com/weight-loss/food-weight-loss/ask-diet-doctor-fruit-really-free-diet-food?page=2