Yes, apples contain sugar. But there’s no need to worry about it. The sugar naturally present in fruits is called fructose. Fructose is a monosaccharide, just like glucose, the simplest sugar used by the human body for energy. When glucose and fructose combine, they form sucrose, which is the familiar white table sugar.
Sucrose is the most common form of added sugar found in many processed foods at the supermarket. These ultra-processed products are typically high in added sugars, salt, low-quality fats, and refined flours, which should be minimized in a healthy diet.
Despite being a type of sugar, the fructose in apples is not a health concern because it is an intrinsic sugar. This means it is naturally contained within the fruit, along with other components like dietary fiber, which helps slow down the absorption of sugar in the bloodstream. Additionally, the act of chewing whole fruit promotes greater satiety and prevents sharp blood sugar spikes. In other words, eating whole fruits helps regulate the glycemic index more effectively.
Extracting sugar from fruit is a problem
The issue arises when we extract sugar from fruit. Whether it’s apples, oranges, or other fruits, removing the solid parts and keeping only the juice is not ideal for health. This is because when we separate the liquid, we end up with all the fruit’s sugar—the least beneficial part.
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When this happens, such as when making fruit juice, the sugars are considered free sugars. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), free sugars should account for no more than 10% of total daily calorie intake, which equals roughly 25 grams of free sugar per day. However, this is not a goal to reach but rather a maximum limit.
The WHO states that the less sugar we consume, the better. In fact, keeping sugar intake at 5% of total daily calories may lead to even greater health benefits.
