Is all sugar equally bad? If not, what makes the sugar in fruit different?

Question

Is all sugar equally bad? If not, what makes the sugar in fruit different?

In: 1508

Answer 1

The sugar in fruit is primarily fructose which does, in fact, appear to be worse for you than other sugars. The difference is the quantity and the presence of substantial undigestible fiber in a piece of fruit. A medium orange might have 12 grams of sugar and about 60 total calories, while a 12 oz can of Coke will have 39 grams of sugar and 140 calories.

As far as the fiber and digestibility, diabetics consider something called the glycemic index, which measures the increase in blood sugar from eating each food: Pure sugar is 91, Coca Cola is 77, and an orange is 45.

So while the sugar chemical in a can of Coke and an orange may be similar, based on the quantity and speed of absorption, you can see why one is so much worse for you than the other.