Is fruit sugar different than processed sugar?

caysnowman
caysnowman Posts: 3
edited December 19 in Health and Weight Loss
Eating several servings of raw fruit a day pushes my total sugar intake too high. Is natural fruit sugar metabolized different than processed sugar, brown or white or is it the same stuff as far as the body is concerned?
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Replies

  • megelis81
    megelis81 Posts: 6
    Good question, I would love to know myself, as I usually eat OVER the standard raw fruit servings a day. I love fruit!
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Sugar is usually one or more of glucose, fructose or sucrose.

    Sucrose is the main sugar that is present in sugar cane or sugar beet, it is soaked out of the plants and crystallised into white sugar, or some of the molasses is left on and it brown. Either way it's>95% sucrose and will digest the same.

    Fruits have mixtures of all three. HFCS in soda etc is glucose + fructose. When sucrose hits your acid stomach it splits into fructose and glucose.

    So they are all the same really. They may come with different stuff like fibre or minerals and vitamins, but the molecules of the sugars are the same.
  • teacherbarb
    teacherbarb Posts: 9 Member
    Sugar is sugar. Your body views it all the same way....Sugar is naturally high in calories, so just make sure you are at your appropriate caloric intake and make sure to balance the fruits with proteins so that you are not hungry. I always go over in my sugars due to fruit, but I am loosing weight consistently. Hope this helps.
  • benztim6876
    benztim6876 Posts: 28 Member
    I know this reply is a little outdated, but you have to have fruits for a balanced diet, and to maintain good health. Are there better fruit to eat than say an apple, which I love. I usually eat 1 a day, with some celery, and carrots. I could have swore a doctor told me that the sugar in fruit coupled with the fiber that is in fruits is better for you than soda sugar. Was my information wrong?

    I am trying to lose about 50 pounds by eatting right. I just got hyponotised to stop drinking soda because I know that was my down fall to getting the weight off. I am not morbidly overweight at 6'1" talls and 220lbs, but 170 would look a lot better. Can someone please enlighten me on this because sugar is the hardest thing to figure out in the diet.
  • HIITMe
    HIITMe Posts: 921 Member
    100 different answers by 127 different "experts" upcoming....
  • Sheilagh85
    Sheilagh85 Posts: 33 Member
    100 different answers by 127 different "experts" upcoming....

    Yes! Can't wait to hear all these "facts"
  • Dreamerlove
    Dreamerlove Posts: 441 Member
    No clue. I would love to find out.
  • JeremyMo88
    JeremyMo88 Posts: 18 Member
    I have been eating a lot more fruit since I started using MFP, 361 days ago. Whenever I have fruit, my sugar is way over. However I have lost weight frequently. There are a lot of vitamins and minerals in fruit, compared to say a candy bar.

    My goal has been to lose 46lbs by day 365. I'm at 42lbs lost, but also put on a LOT of muscle over the year. I know my health is better over all, I'm more energetic and feel great.

    My advise is to note the sugar you eat from fruit but not worry about it. You get so much more from fruit that just the sugar grams.

    I hope that helps.
  • bonnieellison96
    bonnieellison96 Posts: 50 Member
    Non-scientific opinion-I see it as different, because you get more "bang for your buck" with fruit sugar, you know what I mean? Getting sugar from a soda is "junk" and getting it from fruit means you got loads of other nutrients with it. I try to keep my sugar down overall because my blood sugar gets all wacky with too much, but it's really up to what works for you. Some people say limit fruit, some people say don't worry about "natural" sugars.
  • monaghme
    monaghme Posts: 25 Member
    HI, I recently watched the 90 minute youtube video called "Sugar: The bitter truth". It's very interesting and has over 3 million views so far. It gets very detailed and tedious toward the middle, but the doctor tells you to bare with him and it was very informative.
  • babymaddux
    babymaddux Posts: 209 Member
    i don't think there's any difference, sugar is sugar.

    the way i look at it, the sugar in fruits, vegetables, honey etc is there naturally. the sugar in soda, sweets/candy and processed foods has been put there specifically to make something taste 'better'.
  • anifani4
    anifani4 Posts: 457 Member
    Here's my opinion: Processed sugar used in candy and baked goods and many packaged foods is the sugar to avoid. All those foods should be used sparingly in a healthy meal plan. If my sugar is coming from fruits, veggies, and whole grains, I don't worry about it.

    Yes, the body sees sugar from any source the same way. It needs glucose to function properly. Sugar is the same calories as any protein or carb. 4 calories per gram. Fat has 9 calories per gram.
























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  • EricCowperthwaite
    EricCowperthwaite Posts: 450
    Yes, sugar is either glucose, fructose or sucrose. But, no, not all sugar is created equal. Quick overview

    Glucose - your body turns sucrose and carbs in to glucose, puts it in your blood stream, and uses it for energy. Your body will prioritize sucrose and carbs for energy over fat and protein. This results in fat being stored as triglycerides in your fat cells for later use.

    Glycogen - your body processes fructose through your liver to create glycogen. Glycogen can be rapidly converted to glucose when you need more energy to support your brain. More fructose than you can turn in to glycogen gets turned in to glucose immediately.

    So, generally, if you are eating fructose rather than sucrose or starchy carbs, this is better from the above. That said, sugar is sugar is also true. As you can see from the above, more sugar than your body normally needs becomes glucose and is your energy source. Then, any fat you consume cannot be burned as energy and is deposited in fat cells as triglycerides, instead. This is why a balanced diet is crucial :smile:
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,272 Member
    Yes, sugar is either glucose, fructose or sucrose. But, no, not all sugar is created equal. Quick overview

    Glucose - your body turns sucrose and carbs in to glucose, puts it in your blood stream, and uses it for energy. Your body will prioritize sucrose and carbs for energy over fat and protein. This results in fat being stored as triglycerides in your fat cells for later use.

    Glycogen - your body processes fructose through your liver to create glycogen. Glycogen can be rapidly converted to glucose when you need more energy to support your brain. More fructose than you can turn in to glycogen gets turned in to glucose immediately.

    So, generally, if you are eating fructose rather than sucrose or starchy carbs, this is better from the above. That said, sugar is sugar is also true. As you can see from the above, more sugar than your body normally needs becomes glucose and is your energy source. Then, any fat you consume cannot be burned as energy and is deposited in fat cells as triglycerides, instead. This is why a balanced diet is crucial :smile:
    errrr. sort of.
    Sucrose, common table sugar, has a glycosidic bond linking the anomeric hydroxyls of glucose and fructose.
    Lactose, milk sugar, is composed of glucose and galactose.

    Sugars and Polysaccharides:
    http://www.rpi.edu/dept/bcbp/molbiochem/MBWeb/mb1/part2/sugar.htm
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    Sugar is sugar. It doesn't matter where it comes from. However, I choose to get sugar from natural sources. Just makes me feel better about myself. I don't know if it really matters though. If you eat pasta, rice, and bread, those are also pure sugar. So, that might be why. People complain about sugar being too high. It's because the USA diet is like 80% sugar when you break it all down. It is just all screwed up.
  • kcallas88
    kcallas88 Posts: 192
    Sugar is sugar. It doesn't matter where it comes from. However, I choose to get sugar from natural sources. Just makes me feel better about myself. I don't know if it really matters though.

    yup sorta agree with him. i just like knowing even though I'm horrifically over my sugar some days, it has mostly come from "natural sugar", although I'm not entirely sure if my body knows the difference in the end.
  • EricCowperthwaite
    EricCowperthwaite Posts: 450
    errrr. sort of.
    Yes, that was highly simplified and some parts were definitely skipped.

    Here's another highly simplified statement.

    Your body uses either glucose or fat for energy. If you put too much sugar (which you get from sucrose, fructose, carbs in general) in your body, then you cannot use up the fat that you have consumed. The fat is stored for use later on. It is very difficult for triglycerides to be reversed out of your fat cells. This is why it is fairly easy to get fat, but fairly hard to get skinny.

    Again, this is very simplified. But if you understand the very simplified perspective that more sugar consumed, of any sort, means all fat consumed gets stored, you will begin to have an idea of where to tune your macro-nutrients effectively.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Holy thread resurrection!
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    errrr. sort of.
    Yes, that was highly simplified and some parts were definitely skipped.

    Here's another highly simplified statement.

    Your body uses either glucose or fat for energy. If you put too much sugar (which you get from sucrose, fructose, carbs in general) in your body, then you cannot use up the fat that you have consumed. The fat is stored for use later on. It is very difficult for triglycerides to be reversed out of your fat cells. This is why it is fairly easy to get fat, but fairly hard to get skinny.

    Again, this is very simplified. But if you understand the very simplified perspective that more sugar consumed, of any sort, means all fat consumed gets stored, you will begin to have an idea of where to tune your macro-nutrients effectively.

    Best definition yet.

    I don't think it's obvious though on how to tune the macros.
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
    I really don't know the scientific answer to this. However, I do know I lost 90 lbs eating a minimum of 6 servings of fruit a day, and cutting out almost 95% processed sugars like real soda, candy, chocolate, ice cream, etc.

    So yeah, I think there has got to be a difference somewhere...
  • EricCowperthwaite
    EricCowperthwaite Posts: 450
    I don't think it's obvious though on how to tune the macros.
    I sort of stayed away from that because everyone is different. I happen to be highly insulin resistant and need to do something different with macro's than a normally healthy person would.

    Bottom line, understanding how the body uses macros is important, at least at a simplified and basic level of sugar/carbs become glucose, fat becomes ketones or triglycerides. Just creating a calorie deficit is not enough for good health, fitness and weight loss. It's important to adjust macro-nutrients to the needs of your body, as well.

    You adjust macro-nutrients by changing the foods you take in. Fructose is better than sucrose, so get your sugar from strawberries instead of coca-cola. Carbs are necessary for fuel, but without fiber they just get turned in to glucose extremely rapidly, same as sucrose. So, eat broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes (for example) and avoid pasta and bread. Great thing is that MFP will show you how much carbs, fiber and sugar a particular food has in it.

    Good fats provide your body with energy, bad fats gum up your arteries. So, consume fats that are from natural sources, with saturated fats. Avoid processed/manufactured fats, especially ones that contain trans fats. Your body can't process those for energy at all. Yes to olive oil, no to margarine. Yes to butter, no to Crisco. Again, MFP will show you what these foods contain.

    But, really, there are a ton of fantastic resources on all of this available from real experts. The combination of knowledge and MFP is really powerful.

    Simple answer on sugars: natural sources of sugar that also contain fiber are good in moderation. Fruits, berries, root vegetables. Highly starchy sources of sugar, or pure processed sugar, are essentially not good for you and should be kept to a low or non-existent intake.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,026 Member
    Sugar is sugar when it comes to calories. Calorie count is the same.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    I don't think it's obvious though on how to tune the macros.
    I sort of stayed away from that because everyone is different. I happen to be highly insulin resistant and need to do something different with macro's than a normally healthy person would.

    Bottom line, understanding how the body uses macros is important, at least at a simplified and basic level of sugar/carbs become glucose, fat becomes ketones or triglycerides. Just creating a calorie deficit is not enough for good health, fitness and weight loss. It's important to adjust macro-nutrients to the needs of your body, as well.

    I know, it's a land mine. Looks like you avoided hitting any. For the record, I try to eat 50% fat, 35% protein, and 15% carbs from veggies and fruit. But, yeah, it's hard to recommend for others.
  • EricCowperthwaite
    EricCowperthwaite Posts: 450
    I know, it's a land mine. Looks like you avoided hitting any. For the record, I try to eat 50% fat, 35% protein, and 15% carbs from veggies and fruit. But, yeah, it's hard to recommend for others.
    I honestly believe that your diet is what the typical human should eat. HOWEVER, as you noted, there's freaking land mines all over the place.

    I eat 60/30/10 .... but I am insulin resistant and treating type II diabetes purely with diet (and doctor's concurrence) ... I wouldn't recommend the typical person wanting to lose weight do what I'm doing without a good understanding and at least consulting their doc.
  • CalJur
    CalJur Posts: 627 Member
    Peeps do your research. Natural sugar present in fruits is perfectly fine. The key is to be careful of added sugar in supposedly healthy foods and drinks. All still count toward cals but not all sugar is equal.
  • Iron_Pheonix
    Iron_Pheonix Posts: 191 Member
    The body processes fructose in a different way to glucose etc...fruit is great but if you want to lose weight then minimising your fruit and sugar intake is vital because you need to keep insulin low to ensure insulin sensitivity. If you become insulin resistant your cells are on lock down and your body can't access the stored energy, blood sugar levels rise and eventually leads to diabetes.

    If you eat fruit then combine it with a fat to slow the digestion of the fruit sugars. This will prevent the energy spike/dip. If you want to achieve optimum health- then keep intake in moderation. This includes smoothies!

    Research the role of insulin!
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    Peeps do your research. Natural sugar present in fruits is perfectly fine. The key is to be careful of added sugar in supposedly healthy foods and drinks. All still count toward cals but not all sugar is equal.


    My research differs from yours I guess. Mine says all sugar is sugar. It doesn't matter. Also, all carbs are just basically sugar bby the time they are broken down. So, all of it is just sugar. I'd be interested in your research though.
  • Iron_Pheonix
    Iron_Pheonix Posts: 191 Member
    Peeps do your research. Natural sugar present in fruits is perfectly fine. The key is to be careful of added sugar in supposedly healthy foods and drinks. All still count toward cals but not all sugar is equal.


    My research differs from yours I guess. Mine says all sugar is sugar. It doesn't matter. Also, all carbs are just basically sugar bby the time they are broken down. So, all of it is just sugar. I'd be interested in your research though.

    Agreed.....any sugar will raise insulin. The body can actually store less fructose than any other sugar also. I keep all sugar/carbs low.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    Peeps do your research. Natural sugar present in fruits is perfectly fine. The key is to be careful of added sugar in supposedly healthy foods and drinks. All still count toward cals but not all sugar is equal.


    My research differs from yours I guess. Mine says all sugar is sugar. It doesn't matter. Also, all carbs are just basically sugar bby the time they are broken down. So, all of it is just sugar. I'd be interested in your research though.

    Agreed.....any sugar will raise insulin. The body can actually store less fructose than any other sugar also. I keep all sugar/carbs low.

    Ok. I thought you were saying something different.
  • Iron_Pheonix
    Iron_Pheonix Posts: 191 Member
    Peeps do your research. Natural sugar present in fruits is perfectly fine. The key is to be careful of added sugar in supposedly healthy foods and drinks. All still count toward cals but not all sugar is equal.


    My research differs from yours I guess. Mine says all sugar is sugar. It doesn't matter. Also, all carbs are just basically sugar bby the time they are broken down. So, all of it is just sugar. I'd be interested in your research though.

    Agreed.....any sugar will raise insulin. The body can actually store less fructose than any other sugar also. I keep all sugar/carbs low.

    Ok. I thought you were saying something different.

    Nope I was disagreeing with Caljur and agreeing with you lol. I don't believe fructose sugar is any better than any other sugar in that it raises blood sugar levels, releasing insulin to open the cells up to allow the sugar into the cells to be stored as energy and lowering blood sugar levels, then releasing glucagon prompting the brain to demand more sugar/carbs and starting the whold process over leading eventually to insulin resistance - cells being locked down and the blood sugar level remaining raised. Cells can't be accessed, I.e. preventing the use of availiable fat stores and keeping blood sugar levels high = diabetes. Of course that's in the extreme but anybody consuming large amounts of fruit will be heading in this direction. I keep my carbs v low for health reasons.
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