Is the sugar in fruit actually good for you?

Just like vegetables, fruit is essential in a healthy and balanced diet. Ever since the UK government’s campaign in 2003, we’ve all known that we’re supposed to get our “five a day”. And a lot of fruit tends to be pretty sweet, especially when ripe. That’s because fruit contains sugar, and more specifically a large amount of fructose with little glucose.

The problem with fructose is that it easily converts into fat in the liver. For the same quantity of fructose and glucose, fructose will produce more fat in the liver. And that can have a significant effect on metabolism. If consumed in large amounts, it could lead to hepatic steatosis, or fatty liver, a phenomenon that is increasingly common with obesity.

What is fructose ? Is fructose better than glucose for health ? Should we be avoiding fruit ? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

First broadcast: 10.07.2023

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