Chemistry

Molecular formula: C6H12O6

Molecular weight: 180.16

Fructose has water solubility of about 4 g per mL in water at room temperature.

Safety

Recently there has been speculation that fructose is a causative factor in obesity and/or diabetes. Given the fact that fructose has been an important part of the human diet from prehistoric times, it seems unlikely that fructose alone is the culprit, and the medical literature does not contain definitive proof either. General overconsumption of carbohydrates is far more likely to be the problem.

There is sometime confusion about the difference between fructose and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS is produced by enzymatically converting corn starch to glucose, and then adding a second enzyme that converts part of the glucose to fructose. The HFCS usually used in food production is about 55% fructose and 45% glucose. HFCS is more similar to sucrose (50% fructose and 50% glucose) than to pure fructose.