Top 10 Foods Highest in Fructose

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BSc (Hons) MSc DipION Photo of Dr. Patricia Shelton Medically Reviewed by
Dr. Patricia Shelton
Evidence Based. References sourced from PubMed. Powered by USDA Nutrition Data.
Top 10 Foods Highest in Fructose

Fructose is a simple sugar, or monosaccharide. It’s typically found in fruit, certain vegetables, and honey.

When fructose is linked to glucose it forms sucrose, the common table sugar that we are all familiar with. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) also contains both fructose and glucose, but these two simple sugars are not bound together as they are in sucrose. (1) HFCS is now added to many processed foods, especially in the US, as an inexpensive bulk-sweetener.

Fructose is often added to food because it is cheap and enhances taste. Potential health effects of added fructose include obesity, increased LDL cholesterol, gout, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. (2,3) More studies are needed to determine whether fructose is to blame, as many other components of these processed foods are also unhealthy. (4)

It should be noted that naturally occurring fructose in fruits has not been found to lead to health problems. In fact, fruits are beneficial to health, being an excellent source of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. Fruit consumption has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. (5,6)

Although most people are not advised to avoid fruit, there are some people who need to limit their consumption of fructose from all sources, including high-fructose fruits. These include people with rare conditions such as hereditary fructose intolerance or fructose malabsorption. (7) The list below, therefore, includes all high-fructose foods, both naturally occurring and processed.

Foods high in added fructose include sauces, salad dressings, sugary drinks, colas, yogurt, baked goods, and fast foods. Foods naturally rich in fructose include honey, molasses, agave, dried fruits, fruits, and fruit juices. Below are the top 10 foods highest in fructose. For more, see the extended list fructose rich foods.

List of High Fructose Foods

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A printable list of fructose rich foods.

More Fructose Rich Foods

FoodServingFructose
1. Mamey Sapote + 1 cup chopped 13.4g
(3.4 tsp)
2. Cherimoya + per fruit 10g
(2.5 tsp)
3. Persimmon + per fruit 9.3g
(2.3 tsp)
4. Dessert Wine + per 5oz glass 7.6g
(1.9 tsp)
5. Baked Beans + per cup 4g
(1 tsp)
6. Sesame Chicken + per 9 pieces 3.8g
(1 tsp)
7. Horchata + per 8oz cup 3.5g
(0.9 tsp)
8. Taco Bell Taco Salad + per salad 3.4g
(0.9 tsp)
9. Rose Wine + per 5oz glass 3.2g
(0.8 tsp)
10. Tomato + per cup cooked 3.1g
(0.8 tsp)
11. Sweet Corn + per cup cooked 2.8g
(0.7 tsp)
12. Coleslaw (Fast Food) + per cup 2.8g
(0.7 tsp)
13. Bell Peppers + per cup 2.7g
(0.7 tsp)
14. Red Cabbage + per cup chopped 1.3g
(0.3 tsp)
15. Broccoli + per cup cooked 1.2g
(0.3 tsp)

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Data Sources and References

  1. Fattore E, Botta F, Bosetti C. The effect of high-fructose corn syrup vs. sucrose on anthropometric and metabolic parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis Nutr Rev. 2021 Jan 9;79(2):209-226. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa077. 33029629
  2. DiNicolantonio JJ, Lucan SC, O'Keefe JH. Metabolic effects of dietary fructose Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2016 Mar-Apr;58(5):464-72. doi: 10.1016/j.pcad.2015.11.006. Epub 2015 Nov 14. 26586275
  3. Nier A, Brandt A, Conzelmann IB, Özel Y, Bergheim I. Dietary Fructose and the Metabolic Syndrome Nutrients. 2018 Sep 19;10(9):1329. doi: 10.3390/nu10091329. 30235828
  4. Drewnowski A, Bellisle F. Health implications of fructose consumption: A review of recent data Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Mar;85(3):651-61. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/85.3.651. 17344485
  5. Liu W, Hu B, Dehghan M, Mente A, Wang C, Yan R, Rangarajan S, Tse LA, Yusuf S, Liu X, Wang Y, Qiang D, Hu L, Han A, Tang X, Liu L, Li W; PURE-China Investigators. Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality-a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies Clin Nutr. 2021 Jun;40(6):4316-4323. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2021.01.016. Epub 2021 Jan 27. 33581953
  6. Rondanelli M, Barrile GC, Cavioni A, Donati P, Genovese E, Mansueto F, Mazzola G, Patelli Z, Pirola M, Razza C, Russano S, Sivieri C, Tartara A, Valentini EM, Perna S. Whole fresh fruit intake and risk of incident diabetes in different glycemic stages: a nationwide prospective cohort investigation Nutrients. 2023 Nov 28;15(23):4943. doi: 10.3390/nu15234943. 38068801
  7. Bali DS, El-Gharbawy A, Austin S, Pendyal S, Kishnani PS. Hereditary Fructose Intolerance 2006 Apr 19 [updated 2021 Oct 14]. In: Adam MP, Feldman J, Mirzaa GM, Pagon RA, Wallace SE, Bean LJH, Gripp KW, Amemiya A, editors. GeneReviews® [Internet]. Seattle (WA): University of Washington, Seattle; 1993–2024. 20301489
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