1 Fitch, C., and K. S. Keim. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Use of Nutritive and Nonnutritive Sweeteners. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 112.5 (2012): 739-58.

2 Gropper, Sareen, Jack L. Smith, and James L. Groff. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. 4th ed. Belmont: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2005.

3 Guthrie, Helen A. Introductory Nutrition. 6th ed. St. Louis: Times Mirror/Mosby College, 1986.

4 Mahan, L. Kathleen, and Sylvia Escott-Stump. Krauses Food and Nutrition Therapy. 10th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders, 2008.

5 White, J. S. Straight Talk about High-fructose Corn Syrup: What It Is and What It Aint. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 88.6 (2008): 1716S-721S.

The Facts About Sweeteners: How Science Sees It

Although newspapers, social media and television reporters have a lot

to say about sweeteners, the facts and the science behind nutritive

sweeteners often get lost. And although the debate over which sweeteners

is most associated with optimal health has changed over the years, the

evidence-based facts regarding how the human body treats all sweeteners

remain the same. The way science sees it, glucose, fructose, galactose,

honey, high fructose corn syrup, agave nectar, lactose and sucrose are

much more similar than you might think.

SWEETENER Fructose

Glucose Galactose Agave Nectar Honey

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Sucrose

Lactose

TYPE

Monosaccharide

Monosaccharide

Monosaccharide

PrimarilyMonosaccharide

Primarily Monosaccharide

Primarily

Monosaccharide

Disaccharide

Disaccharide

CALORIESper gram 4

4 4

4 4

4

4

4

COMPOSITON

6-carbon sugar made of carbon,

hydrogen + oxygen

6-carbon sugar made of carbon,

hydrogen + oxygen

6-carbon sugar made of carbon,

hydrogen + oxygen

fructose + glucose + other sugars

glucose + fructose

+ sucrose + other sugars

fructose + glucose + other sugars

glucosefructose galactoseglucose

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

Glucose 60-70High Fructose Corn Syrup 92-99

Lactose 16

Agave Nectar 105-110*Fructose 117

Galactose 32Honey 95-100*Sucrose 100

Sucrose

*Estimated Sweetness

Sweetness of Selected Sweeteners Relative to Sucrose

Hanover LM, White JS. Manufacturing, composition, and applications of fructose. Am J Clin Nutr. 1993;58(suppl):724S-32S.

Once sweeteners are absorbed, the body cannot distinguish between them

Most sweeteners are digested in the small intestine, where disaccharides and polysaccharides are broken down into the smallest unit of sugar: a monosaccharide (glucose, fructose and galactose are examples). HFCS, honey, and agave nectar are already available as monosaccharides and are not changed in the digestive process.

After absorption and a minor amount of metabolism by the small intestine, fructose and glucose are taken up by the liver. Glucose in the liver can be stored as glycogen or enter glycolysis, the process of transforming glucose into energy. Most of the fructose is converted to glucose and glycogen. A small portion of fructose is converted to lactate and a very small amount (15%

REFERENCE: Tappy L, Le KA. Metabolic Effects of Fructose and the Worldwide Increase in Obesity. Physiol Rev. 2010;90:23-46.

Example: