Is Fruit Sugar Better for You Than Refined Sugar?

Is the natural sugar found in fruits better for you than refined cane sugar?  Mike J.

Dear Mike,

Your body actually processes all sugars to the same end product--glucose.  Whether you consume milk sugar (lactose), fruit sugar (fructose), cane sugar (sucrose), or even starches, the final breakdown product is glucose, the simple sugar that is the preferred source of energy for most of the body's cells.

I think processing has a negative connotation in some regard because of the over-processing of some products (like wheat) that results in the omission of nutrients.  The refining of cane sugar is necessary because we cannot cook or bake with chunks of raw cane!  So the process is merely necessary to get the consistency of a product we can use.

Fruit itself is probably healthier than products you consume that contain cane sugar because of the vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber contained in addition to the fruit sugar.