A calorie is not a calorie

Fructose vs Glucose

The two main simple sugars in the diet are glucose and fructose.

These two seem almost identical. They have the same chemical formula and weigh the exact same.

But to your body, the two are completely different (2).

Glucose can be metabolized by all of the body's tissues, but fructose can only be metabolized by the liver in any significant amount (3).

Here are a few examples of why glucose calories are NOT the same as fructose calories:

• Ghrelin is the "hunger hormone." It goes up when we're hungry and down after we've eaten. One study shows that fructose leads to higher ghrelin levels (more hunger) than glucose (4).


• Fructose does not stimulate the satiety centers in the brain in the same way as glucose, leading to reduced satiety (5).


• A high consumption of fructose can cause insulin resistance, abdominal fat gain, increased triglycerides, blood sugar and small, dense LDL compared to the exact same number of calories from glucose (6).

Same number of calories, vastly different effects on hunger, hormones and metabolic health. Because a calorie is not a calorie.

Keep in mind that this applies to fructose from added sugars only, not the fructose from fruit. Fruits also have fiber, water and significant chewing resistance, which mitigate the negative effects of the fructose.

BOTTOM LINE:Even though fructose and glucose have the same chemical formula, fructose has much more negative effects on hormones, appetite and metabolic health.

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