fructose

Fructose is a natural sugar found in many fruits, honey, and some vegetables. It is sweeter than table sugar, which is one reason fruit tastes so sweet. It gives the body energy, but the body handles it differently from glucose. You may also see it in processed foods and drinks, especially in sweeteners such as high-fructose corn syrup. Think of a ripe peach or a spoonful of honey: much of that sweetness comes from fructose.

It is not only part of our food. In plants, fructose is one of the sugars involved in growth, energy storage, and the sweetness of ripe fruit. That sweetness helps attract animals, which can then spread seeds. So when you bite into an apple, part of that sweet taste comes from this natural sugar.

Fructose is a simple sugar, specifically a monosaccharide, that is widely found in nature. It is one of the main sugars in many fruits, and it is also present in honey and some vegetables. Because it tastes very sweet, it plays a big part in the flavor of ripe fruit. The name comes from the Latin word fructus, meaning "fruit."

Unlike glucose, which many cells can use directly for energy, fructose is handled mainly by the liver. This means it does not act in exactly the same way as other sugars in the body. In normal amounts, such as the amount found in whole fruit, it is a common part of the human diet. But large amounts from sweetened drinks and heavily processed foods may be linked to health problems. Fructose is often found together with glucose in fruit, and it is also used in sweeteners such as high-fructose corn syrup, which appears in many packaged foods and soft drinks.

Beyond food, fructose also matters in plant life. Plants make and use sugars as they grow, and fructose is one part of that system. As fruits ripen, sugars build up and create sweetness, helping attract animals that eat the fruit and spread the seeds. Fructose is also used in food production and in some industrial processes.

So whether you are enjoying a mango or reading a food label, fructose is worth knowing as both a natural part of many foods and a common added sweetener. It can be part of a healthy diet, but like other sugars, too much of it is not a good thing.