Connect
← Return to Are fresh fruit high in fructose bad for elderly individuals?
Discussion
Are fresh fruit high in fructose bad for elderly individuals?
Aging Well | Last Active: Jul 2, 2025 | Replies (35)Comment receiving replies
I have never seen the claim that too much sugar of any kind, fructose, galactose, maltose, dextrose, sucrose....you name it, it's a sugar...is possibly going to cause joint pain, and it doesn't matter what age we're talking about. I have seen that fructose is the big problem with overconsumption because it is found in so many prepared foods and drinks. In turn, it causes metabolic syndrome and eventually diabetes, although that's usually years down the road.
There are, on the other hand, many causes of joint pain, not least of which is the wear-and-tear on old joints. Uric acid has been mentioned already, but peripheral artery disease, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis can be present, even bone spurs! Torn cartilage in the knees, strained anterior and posterior cruciate and lateral ligaments....you get the idea.
If you were to add that you have recently been prescribed a statin such as atorvastatin, some people do claim to experience very annoying muscle pain, some of it near joints. This is in the literature.
Replies to "I have never seen the claim that too much sugar of any kind, fructose, galactose, maltose,..."
The study I cited in my previous post contains an explanation as to how/why it can cause joint pain because as fructose breaks down it creates uric acid, citing a number of studies.
Uric acid (which forms crystals) can in fact cause joint pain beyond the traditionally recognized gout, which most commonly attacks toe joints.
You also said "... I have seen that fructose is the big problem with overconsumption because it is found in so many prepared foods and drinks. In turn, it causes metabolic syndrome and eventually diabetes, although that's usually years down the road..."
Unfortunately, it doesn't take as many years as we once thought. Metabolic syndrome and Type II diabetes are now seen way too often in young teens and even preteens. Studies are already underway, but it has been linked to excessive fructose consumption since birth. 15 years ago, high fructose corn syrup was still a common ingredient in baby formulas. Then add fruit juices, sweetened cereals, bread, prepared snack foods...
I cringe when I look into many of the grocery carts in my local store. We have food allergies, hypertension, heart disease and diabetes in our family, and have been avid label readers for over 50 years. At least 75% of our cart is raw or minimally processed foods.
Connect
I am 74 and have a smoothie every morning. It consists of oat milk, frozen blueberries, frozen strawberries, frozen cherries frozen bananas. I add whey powder that makes it taste like ice cream, low sugar yogurt and recently added Hemp Hearts or shelled hemp seeds.
This enables me to skip lunch and have a light dinner.
At 74 I am developing some arthritis in my hands but I believe that is genetics.
Regarding taking a statin my doctor says everyone should be taking a statin. There are many statins available. My body does well with Atorvastatin. Other statins I tried caused muscle pain.
Good luck to everyone. Aging is not for the faint of heart. Getting in exercise everyday also helps.