If I have to answer you in one sentence then I must say in excess it is not healthy. Fructose is present in honey, fruits and some of the root vegetables. I hear even from my FB friends that it contains only fructose and so surely it is better than sugar.

Is it correct? No, it is not at all correct. A simple comparison is that there are trillions of cells in our body which could metabolize sugar, but only liver can metabolize fructose. Liver has many other important functions than metabolizing fructose. In excess it is as bad as alcohol because fructose is metabolized immediately if it is present in the blood. This is an extra and excess work to the liver.

Most of the non-alcoholic soft drinks including cola drinks contain high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). It is used because it is cheaper than sugar and here mostly the ratio of fructose:glucose is 55% to 45%. Now and then a glass is OK, but not too much.

What are the health problems we may get from fructose? There are many and they include:

• Excess is converted into blood fat, triglycerides which is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases
• Excess may cause insulin-resistance, elevated LDL-cholesterol and obesity
• It is also one of the causes for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• It can react with protein and so fructose found in soft drinks may cause gout

If you have diabetes you can use less of it.