Fructose

Fructose is one of the two common single molecule sugars, the other being glucose. The combination of a fructose and a glucose molecule is sucrose, or common table sugar. High Fructose Corn Syrup is a common sugar substitute that contains both fructose and glucose. While glucose is absorbed from the digestive system and can be used directly by body, fructose must go to the liver to be converted to a useable form. This conversion process slows the effective digestion of fructose, giving it a lower Glycemic Index. There are a number of health concerns with Fructose, including liver damage similar to alcoholism and the creation of unhealthy fats as part of fructose metabolism. Larger quantities of fructose can also cause digestive gas.