Can fructose in diabetes mellitus: the benefits and harm of fructose in diabetes?

Diabetes as a pathology is extremely unpleasant because during it a large number of habitual products are categorically forbidden to use.Many patients negatively tolerate the absence in their daily menu of sugar and sugar-containing products.

Table of contents: Fructose as a sugar substitute for diabetes Diabetic fructose use Harmful fructose in diabetes

Fructose as a substitute for sugar in diabetes mellitus

One of the most popular substances actively used as a sugar substitute is fructose.It is a complex complex carbohydrate, which to taste almost does not differ from the usual sugar .Some patients say that it even seems sweeter.

Fructose is no less sweet and has a significant difference: it is almost instantly absorbed in the human gastrointestinal tract and is completely cleaved in the body.

Fructose is a substance that can be found not only in the form of a powder obtained by chemical synthesis on the pharmacy shelf. In its free form, fructose is found in many familiar foods: honey, sweet fruits, vegetables and other plant products

.In some cases fructose can be found in natural refined sugar, which, as a rule, consists of two components: glucose and fructose.That is why refined sugar, as well as natural brown, many seem sweeter than ordinary sand.

The caloric content of fructose is almost the same as that of sugar, but most often for the sweetening of foods and beverages, the amount of fructose is half that of sugar in similar cases, so often nutritionists write that replacing sugar with fructose will help lose weight.Recently, among diabetics and admirers of healthy nutrition this substance has become very popular as a sweetener for preserving vegetables and fruits.

This type of sweetener has one of the lowest hypoglycemic indices.Processing fructose metabolites requires an insulin amount that is five times less than that required for sugar metabolites.Therefore, its use is acceptable for diabetes type .

In case of diabetes II type fructose can be consumed only after a preliminary consultation with a medical specialist.

Benefits of fructose in diabetes

Many studies have been carried out that have proved that the use of fructose in place of sugar is very beneficial to the human body, not only for people suffering from diabetes, but also for relatively healthy people.

The main advantages of fructose are the following positive factors:

• it is perfectly absorbed by the body without provoking unpleasant side effects and pathologies from the internal organs;
• has a softer effect, so consuming it as a sweetener significantly reduces the risk of developing oral diseases, gum disease and destruction of tooth enamel;
• is processed only by liver cells, which this body subsequently metabolizes into the organism necessary a useful substance - glycogen;
• falling into the intestinal tract, decays slowly enough and does not produce hormone-catalysts of pathological insulin production;
• with the use of alcohol fructose will help to split and remove harmful substances faster from the body;
• has a toning, immunostimulating and restorative action;
• promotes the formation and accumulation of glycogen in muscles and tissues, which contributes to the production of additional energy;
• eliminates a feeling of lethargy, drowsiness, a feeling of fatigue;
• copes with hunger much more quickly;
• helps to keep concentration of attention, strength and increased level of resistance of the organism much longer under unfavorable weather conditions and physical exertion;
• does not provoke an unstable release of hormones in the body.

Since insulin does not participate in the assimilation of fructose, type I diabetics can safely add it to the daily menu and prepare various dishes using it as a sweetener .The most important thing that will be required from the patient is a preliminary consultation with a specialist, an attentive attitude to one's health and the correct calculation of the insulin dose after eating this substitute for the usual sugar.

Harmful fructose in diabetes

This sweetener can not cause a direct negative effect on the body, but its use is beyond norms and uncontrollably contributes to the appearance of various deviations:

1. The consumption of foods sweetened with fructose requires less gastrointestinal tractForces on digestion and absorption, a feeling of satiety from such dishes may not appear.This sometimes contributes to overeating and weight gain, as well as abnormal expansion of the stomach;
2. Excessive consumption of a sweetener can provoke the development of diabetes in those who have a physiological or genetic predisposition to this.
3. Since fructose is only metabolized in the liver, too high doses can lead to a dangerous pathology - fat deposition in the liver, fatty hepatosis.There are cases when uncontrolled consumption of a sweetener led to a rare, but very dangerous disease that will subsequently be transmitted to descendants from generation to generation - fructoseemia.
4. Most often, those who regularly consume different sweeteners of chemical origin for food can not correctly calculate the content of fructose and sugar in other daily routine foods( bread, juice, dairy products).

The decision to replace sugar for fructose should be weighed and agreed with a medical specialist.In addition, during the use of this sweetener, one should not forget about physical activity, sports, observance of norms and diet, so as not to gain weight and not become obese.

Konev Alexander, internist