Fructose

almost entirely metabolized in the liver.
"When fructose reaches the liver," says Dr. William J. Whelan, a biochemist at the University of
Miami School of Medicine, "the liver goes bananas and stops everything else to metabolize the
fructose." Eating fructose instead of glucose results in lower circulating insulin and leptin levels,
and higher of ghrelin levels after the meal. Since leptin and insulin decrease appetite and ghrelin
increases appetite, some researchers suspect that eating large amounts of fructose increases the
likelihood of weight gain.
Excessive processed fructose consumption is also believed to contribute to the development of
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Gout
It has been suggested in a recent British Medical Journal study that high consumption of processed
fructose is linked to gout. Cases of gout have risen in recent years, despite commonly being thought
of as a Victorian disease, and it is suspected that the fructose found in soft drinks (e.g., carbonated
beverages) and other sweetened drinks is the reason for this.
In order for the liver to process fructose, it must be phosphorylated by removal of phosphates
from adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The ATP gets converted to adenosine monophosphate (AMP),
then to inisotol monophosphate (IMP), and finally to uric acid, the agent in gout.
Glycaemic index
Fructose has the lowest Glycaemic Index (G.I. = 19) of all the natural sugars and may be used
in moderation by Diabetics. It is recommended that a maximum intake of 25g - 40g per day is
adopted, provided that this is counted towards the daily calory count. In comparison, ordinary
table sugar (Sucrose) has a GI of 65 and Honey has a GI of 55. Fruit Sugar has the advantage
for Diabetics that, being nearly twice as sweet as ordinary sugar if not heat-processed, the daily
allowance can be stretched by using less for most applications. Many artificial sweeteners are not
suitable for home-baking, but, with a little adjustment, many traditional recipes can be prepared
using fructose.
1. Fructose - Merriam Webster dictionary
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