DEAR DR. GOTT: I have had great success with your no-flour, no-sugar diet. You have indicated that natural sugar from fruit is OK. I drink 100 percent cranberry juice, and the label states that the ingredients are 100 percent fruit juices from grapes, cranberries and apples (water, juice concentrates), natural flavors, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and citric acid. The nutrition facts state the product contains 35 grams of sugar, which I assume is natural fruit sugar. I drink many glasses daily, but now wonder whether I have been inadvertently consuming added sugar and not natural fruit sugar.
DEAR READER: Natural fruit sugar, known as fructose, is an acceptable component to your diet, as long as your doctor has not indicated otherwise. The sugars listed on your nutrition facts label indicate the natural fruit sugar. If there were added sugar, known as sucrose, it would be listed on the ingredients panel. You are not consuming excess sucrose. [Read more...]