Fructose, the sweetest of sugars, is a monosaccharide (simple sugar). Fructose occurs naturally in most fruits, in honey, and in some vegetables. It is also used in food manufacturing, notably as an additive in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). A snack or meal that is high in fructose and low in other nutrients will spike blood-sugar levels, deliver energy that burns away rapidly, and do little to sate the appetite. Excess fructose in the diet, particularly in the form of HFCS, has been linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

In this model, carbon atoms are dark gray, hydrogen atoms are white, and oxygen atoms are red.

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