Based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
(NHANES) data from 1988 to 1994, mean intake of fructose
among children and adults was 54.7 g/d, however,
adolescents ages 12–18 y consumed 72.8 g/d [36] of fructose.
More recently, 1999–2004 NHANES data showed that young
males (15–18 y) in the 95th percentile of fructose consumption,
consume 121 g/d of fructose [36]. This value is twice as
high than when assessed in 1978 [34] and 10 times higher
than the 6 g/d per-capita value used to determine the safety of consumption in 1976 [37]. Fructose can induce metabolic
syndrome in both animal models and humans [38] and fructose
exposure at the levels described here has been shown to
be metabolically deleterious in humans [39–41]. It is plausible
that additional, unlabeled amounts of fructose contained in
SSBs and juices can add up and, in combination with other
commonly consumed high-fructose-containing foods, can
lead to fructose intake >100 g/d. Thus, the differentiation
between specific types of sugars (especially fructose) in
popular beverages, and the accurate quantification of their
presence, are crucial to informing responsible consumption of
these products [42] and represent a critical opportunity to
affect public health.
In conclusion, this study supports and strengthens previous
findings regarding the fructose content of SSBs and provides new
information on the sugar composition and overall fructose
content of commonly consumed SSB and juice products. The
results support the initial findings [16], suggesting that the most
popular sodas made with HFCS as the sole added sweetener have
an F:G ratio of 60:40, indicating 50% more fructose than glucose
and a meaningful difference from the equivalent F:G ratio
observed in table sugar (sucrose). The sugars galactose and
lactose were not present and maltose was only detected in very
small amounts in these products. As expected, certain fruit juices
contained fructose, however, some contained more total fructose
than sodas, often with 50% more fructose than glucose. Although
SSBs are a major source of fructose in the diet of Americans, our
results demonstrate that juice products may contribute substantially
to total daily fructose consumption as well. Based on
these findings, current population estimates of fructose consumption
determined via existing food nutrient data are likely
underestimated.