And that’s because fructose, the sugar found in fruits, can fool your brain and make you eat more, warn experts from the University of California.

Pay attention to how much fruits you consume

Moderate consumption of fruits brings many benefits for the body, but we must not exaggerate.

Fruit juices are not the best choice either, say researchers; they recommend us to consume fruits rather than fruit juices. Fruit juices are rich in fructose and contain calories.

Glucose-fructose syrup is used in most processed products, from crackers to ice cream and cereals. Have you ever wondered why you can not eat just onescuit and you have to eat the whole pack? Experts say: fructose is to blame for it has the ability to stimulate appetite, leading to numerous health problems. According to a recent study, glucose-fructose syrup contributes to the development of fat cells on the heart, liver and other vital organs, determining other serious illnesses such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease.

Dr Carel Le Roux, consultant in metabolic disorders from Imperial College London, explains to us that when we eat sugar our body releases insulin to announce us that we have eaten enough. On the other hand fructose is unable to send this message to the brain, therefore we tend to eat more.

This syrup is obtained from corn syrup processed with enzymes to convert glucose into fructose. Fructose is then mixed with glucose from pure corn syrup, resulting the fructose-glucose syrup. Because it’s cheap, this syrup is used in a variety of products, sometimes in those where you least expect it, such as cereals.

Fructose affects blood pressure

According to a study done by scientists at the University of Colorado, people who have hypertension problems and consume more than 74 grams of fructose per day increase their risk of high blood pressure with over 87 percent.

Also, another study done by specialists at the University of California shows that sugar found in fruits is able to turn itself into fat when it reaches the liver, compared to glucose. This increases the risk of fatty liver disease, associated with liver disease and type 2 diabetes.