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Is sugar found in fruits bad for the health? Yes, if consumed too much. That's what researchers found when they investigated the different types of sugar in connection with the risk for chronic diseases.

Researchers investigated the cardio-metabolic effects of different types of sugar to the body. The types of sugar considered in the study are glucose, a type of sugar naturally found in the body after the break down of carbohydrates, and fructose, a type of sugar found in fruits.

The study, published in the American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, experimented on three groups of female Sprague-Dawley rats. Over the course of two months, one group of rats were supplemented with 20 percent glucose and another group was supplemented with 20 percent fructose in addition to their normal solid diet. The third group of rats, the control group, were only fed the normal solid diet and plain water.

The researchers found that both sugar-supplemented rats gained weight due to increase calorie intake compared to the control group. The glucose-supplemented rats measured higher calorie intake versus the fructose-supplemented rats but the fructose-supplemented rats had the most significant increase in final body weight.

The fructose-supplement rats had increased risk for fatty liver and cardiovascular disease due to increased plasma triglycerides level. The decreased expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1A (CPT1A) could lead to increase risks for a serious liver disorder.

On the other hand, the glucose-supplemented rats had increased risk for insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes. This group of rats was also prone to metabolic disorders like diabetes, obesity, and hyperlipidemia.

The study concludes that although the glucose caused high-calorie intake, it was fructose that caused worse metabolic and vascular responses. In addition, the study found that besides calorie intake, the type of sugar consumed also contributes to increasing risks for health problems.