If it wasn’t for fructose then you wouldn’t be here on this planet.
In fact, without fructose, human life itself would not be possible.
If you have been following the health news in the media to any degree, then you’re likely aware of some of the negative rumors regarding fructose that are being thrown around. Maybe it’s just me, but it appears as if fructose is being accused of some hideous crimes and is quickly working its way up to the top of the Most Wanted list of criminal food offenders.
Here’s what one “so called” health expert has to say about fructose…
Consuming foods that contain high amounts of fructose—even if it’s a natural product—is, to put it bluntly, the fastest way to trash your health.
But are we really sure that fructose is the criminal that we think it is?
Could it be that fructose is being framed?
All I can say is that hopefully fructose gets the fair and unbiased trial that it deserves.
Do you remember the time when we used to presume innocence until proven guilty?
Unfortunately, today we tend to have a more backward mentality and assume guilty until proven innocent.
Instead of turning on your fruit and blaming it for your health problems, maybe you should really be thanking your fruit for making your life possible in the first place.
Is It Fructose or High-Fructose Corn Syrup?
Just so that we are all on the same page, fructose is fruit sugar.
It’s the predominant form of sugar found in fruits, and is also found in honey, flowers, and even root vegetables.
Fructose itself is a naturally occurring substance that has been part of the human diet since the beginning of human history.
While I understand that there is plenty of controversy surrounding high-fructose corn syrup, the recent negative literature has been specifically referring to fructose itself.
While fructose itself is naturally occurring in nature, high-fructose corn syrup is an unnatural chemically altered food.
So please do not confuse the two or treat them as equals.
Regardless, many anti-fructose advocates are pointing at an increase in fructose in any form in our diet as the cause of the modern day obesity epidemic.
But, have you ever heard of someone become obese by eating too much fruit?
Neither have I…
Have we all but forgotten the proverb that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away?”…
Maybe after hundreds of years we just need to update the proverb to, an apple a day makes you obese or diabetic…
But it’s just not as catchy, is it?
Why Fructose is the Fruit of Life
I want to share with you one very important role of fructose that nobody seems to be mentioning and how without it, life as we know it, simply could not exist.
Fructose itself is literally the fruit of life.
Before we wade through the knee deep muck of medical research that is being spewed today to incriminate fructose, it’s always important to take a step back and first understand the essence of human physiology.
If we’ve forgotten how a healthy body is designed to work, then how can we possibly make sense of medical research?
Without Fructose Conception is Impossible
Most everyone understands the basics of reproduction. What’s less commonly discussed is that fructose appears to play an important role in that process.
Research has noted that seminal fluid is naturally rich in fructose, and that sperm cells can use this sugar as an energy source for their journey. Some studies suggest that when sperm have difficulty metabolizing fructose, fertility outcomes may be affected.
Fructose is also found in the female reproductive tract, where it may serve as an additional energy source during conception. Scientists have explored how this availability of energy could help support the earliest stages of cell development.
While more research is always needed, these findings highlight that fructose has unique biological roles that go beyond simply being “fruit sugar.”
Without Fructose Fetal Development Is Impossible
Beyond conception, researchers have also looked at fructose during fetal development.
Studies have found higher concentrations of fructose in amniotic fluid compared to maternal blood. One study suggested this may reflect a protective mechanism — helping to ensure that the developing fetus has a steady supply of certain types of fuel, even under low-oxygen conditions.
Polyol concentrations in the fluid compartments of the human conceptus during the first trimester of pregnancy: maintenance of redox potential in a low oxygen environment.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15562012
The concentrations of fructose, inositol, sorbitol, erythritol, and ribitol were significantly higher in coelomic and amniotic fluids than in maternal serum, but the reverse was the case for glucose and glycerol… These results demonstrate that the polyol pathway, considered vestigial in adult tissues, is highly active in the human conceptus during early pregnancy.
In this way, fructose may serve as an important energy source during early growth. While the full picture isn’t yet understood, the findings suggest fructose has unique properties that make it different from glucose and other sugars.
Does Fructose Have a Role in Supporting Thyroid Function?
Just as fructose has been studied for its roles in reproduction and development, some research has explored how certain dietary carbohydrates — including fructose from fruit — may influence energy balance and thyroid function.
The thyroid is central to metabolism, and adequate energy availability is one factor that helps support its function. For this reason, some nutrition approaches include fruit as part of a balanced diet.
While fructose itself isn’t a cure-all, considering the bigger picture — where your energy comes from and how it supports your body — can be a valuable perspective.
So, before you dismiss fructose entirely, stop and consider that there is an entire other side of the story that you don’t know about.
We often forget the parallels between fairy tales and real life as we know it.
Instead of looking at fructose entirely as the villain, could it be possible that fructose is nothing more than a modern day Robin Hood, heralded as the Most Wanted man in the land, but in reality is secretly working for the greater good of humanity?
