Facts on Fructose Sweetener

Fructose sweetener is a low-calorie alternative to sucrose, or table sugar. Fructose sweeteners help cookies stay moist, make frozen juice remain liquid enough to pour and replaces other preservatives like sorbitol and glycerin in foods, thereby improving flavor.

Production

• Cornstarch is extracted from corn kernels, converted to glucose and then fructose and dried to a crystallized solid. This substance is ground to the desired consistency to form the fructose sweetener.

Benefits

• Fructose sweetener is nearly twice as sweet as sucrose and is more stable than sucrose in foods, preserving its flavor longer than sucrose.

Low Glycemic Index

• The glycemic index (GI) gauges whether foods agree with the needs for diabetic patients. Lower glycemic index numbers mean that the food is compatible. Fructose has a low GI.

Health

• According to a study by the University of California-Davis Health System, fructose sweeteners add belly fat during weight gain, whereas sucrose adds fat below the skin. Fructose also elevates the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the blood, called "bad cholesterol."

High Fructose Corn Syrup

• High fructose corn syrup is produced when the sugar in cornstarch is converted to fructose, which is a combination of fructose and glucose. This sugar is cheaper than sucrose and is a main ingredient in soda and processed foods.