Fructose triggers cravings

Hmmm. When I did the 40-30-30 diet plan they had us add some fructose to some shakes; I assumed fructose is ok. Now, though, I use regular white sugar to make my probiotic Kombucha tea, but I have learned that the 'mother' changes the sucrose to fructose. So, does that mean I traded one sugary drink, soda, for another just as bad for me? (Well, maybe not just as bad, as it has the probiotic element... but shit.)

We have touched upon sugar and/or artificial sweeteners here, here, here and here.

Taken from the May 22nd print edition of the Week Magazine:

Not all sugars are created equal. Glucose and fructose are simple sugars naturally found in fruit and have the same number of calories, but new research suggests there are important differences in how the body responds to these sweeteners. While glucose is absorbed directly into the bloodstream to produce energy, fructose—which is used to sweeten soft drinks and processed foods—is metabolized in the liver. The body reacts to glucose in the blood by producing insulin, which triggers feelings of fullness. “Fructose doesn’t stimulate insulin secretion, and if there’s no insulin, you don’t get the information that you’re full,” the study’s senior author, Dr. Kathleen Page, tells The New York Times. Consuming fructose also triggers more activity in areas of the brain involved in reward processing, which intensifies cravings for high-calorie foods such as candy, cookies, and pizza. Researchers do not recommend that people forgo fruit, since it provides fiber and nutrients and has relatively small amounts of fructose compared with soft drinks and processed foods. But researchers say it does make sense to limit overall sugar intake.