Nutraceutical news has reported harmful effects of fructose in rats.
Consumption of fructose could affect memory, a new study has suggested.
Researchers at Georgia State University conducted experiments on rats, who performed badly in memory tests when fructose made up 60 per cent of their calorie intake.
According to Beverage Daily, the nutraceutical sugar is used in sweeteners used in the food industry, leading scientists to question its effect on humans.
The study was published in Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, with lead researcher Marise Parent commenting that there are difficulties in applying the findings to humans owing to the fundamental differences between them and rats.
"Notably, determining what concentration would be comparable between humans and rats is difficult, given that a rat is expected to metabolise fructose at a different rate than a human," she said.
Fructose is naturally found in nutraceutical foods such as fruits, vegetables and honey. It has been used as a nutritive sweetener in food and drink for 20 years, according to the Fructose Information Center.
