Intense sweeteners are used in small quantities and tend to be much sweeter than sugar. Intense sweeteners are generally artificial sweeteners. It is absorbed more slowly than glucose and has to be converted to glucose in the liver before it finally ends up as 'blood glucose'. Fructose therefore produces a smaller rise in blood glucose level than a similar amount of sucrose or starchy carbohydrate. However, if eaten in large quantities, fructose can cause stomach pain and diarrhoea.
Fructose provides just as much energy as sucrose or any other sugar.
For this reason, fructose offers no special benefit if you are trying to reduce your overall calorie intake in order to lose weight . Fructose has also been reported to adversely affect LDL cholesterol levels if consumed in large amounts. There is no reason why the possible adverse effects mentioned above should stop you eating fruits and vegetables that contain naturally occurring fructose, as one would not normally consume enough to cause any problems. Sugar alcohols Sugar alcohols, also called polyols , occur naturally in small amounts mainly in fruit. In recent years, they have found use as bulk sweeteners, largely due to their physical properties, in addition to their sweetness.