Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: thedoc on 01/04/2012 09:28:01

Title: Fw: Contact the Naked Scientists (please do not alter this subject)
Post by: thedoc on 01/04/2012 09:28:01

Adam Waller  asked the Naked Scientists:
   I'm on a diet and tracking my caloric intake as well as other nutritional information. I notice that I always seem to go over on my sugar intake when the only sugars that I am getting are from fruits. Can the body tell the difference in the sugars from fruits and those from candies and other sweets??

Thanks,
Adam Waller
South Carolina, USA

What do you think?

Title: Re: Fw: Contact the Naked Scientists (please do not alter this subject)
Post by: imatfaal on 02/04/2012 12:07:17

Sugar from candy will most often be a mix of Sucrose (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucrose) and Fructose whereas sugar from fruit tends to be only fructose (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructose).

Sucrose is basically and simplistically a glucose molecule and a fructose molecule - this is split into the two individual molecules and the glucose follows one pathway to being used in the body and the fructose follows another.   Glucose and Fructose both are, in end, used to provide energy for cellular respiration - they use almost entirely different biochemical routes.   There have been many studies looking at pros and cons of these two forms of energy intake - many of which are listed on the two webpages linked.