Orange juice does retain the vitamins found in oranges, but the fiber content is very different. During juice processing, fiber is usually filtered out or pulverized, reducing its beneficial, pro-satiety effects. The juice"s dissolved sugar is thus efficiently absorbed by the small intestine and enters the blood quickly [12]. Consuming juice raises your blood sugar rapidly; after the subsequent blood sugar "crash," you'll soon be hungry again.

But by separating natural and added sugars, the FDA [by only enforcing labelling "added sugars"]creates a false dichotomy. The benefits of fruit come from its fiber, rather than its natural sugar. The science does not support endorsing natural sugars over their added counterparts, since these sugars have similar metabolic effects. The FDA"s efforts would be better directed towards education about the negative metabolic effects of high sugar intake. For all of the hubbub about added and natural sugar, the best piece of advice we have now is to simply eat less sugar, with the whole fruit as a notable exception to this rule. Ideally, our diets should be low in sugar and high in fiber, consisting primarily of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Whole fruit contains fiber, which fills you up and keeps you from overeating. The cellular structure of fruit is also important – since your body has to break down the cells of the orange before the sugar can be released, the sugar is absorbed into the blood more slowly. Eating fruit raises your blood sugar levels, but in a slow and controlled manner, promoting fullness and preventing overconsumption [12].

Another common, maligned form of sugar is high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), synthesized from corn. HFCS is sold in two forms: one has 42% fructose, the other has 55% fructose, with glucose and water as the other primary components. Food manufacturers prefer HFCS because it's cheaper and easier to use than table sugar. The sweetest form of HFCS, with 55% fructose, has only 5% more fructose than cane sugar. HFCS containing 42% fructose is much more commonly used, and it contains even less fructose than cane sugar [1]. The problem is not HFCS, but rather too much total sugar consumption.