How does fructose as the sweetener affect diabetics?
A. Because fructose does not increase blood glucose and does not require insulin, individuals with diabetes can sometimes tolerate it better than other sugars. Fructose is a monosaccharide, or single sugar, that has the same chemical formula as glucose but a different molecular structure. Sometimes called fruit sugar, fructose is found in fruit, some vegetables, honey, and other plants. Fructose and other sugars are carbohydrates, an important source of energy for the body. Fructose and other commonly consumed sugars provide basically the same number of calories, but they are metabolized and used by the body in different ways. For instance, glucose from dietary sources is digested, absorbed, transported to the liver, and released into the general blood stream. Many tissues take up glucose from the blood to use for energy; this process requires insulin. Fructose is predominantly metabolized in the liver, but unlike glucose it does not require insulin to be used by the body. This is why
