Fructose might be beneficial for us when used in moderate amounts, according to a study published in the July issue of Diabetes Care.

"Over the last decade, there have been connections made between fructose intake and rates of obesity. However, this research suggests that the problem is likely one of overconsumption, not fructose," said Dr. John Sievenpiper, senior author of the study.

The study involved analysis of 18 trials done to study the effects of fructose. Some 209 people diagnosed with either type-1 or type-2 diabetes had participated in the trials. All were kept on diets that contained fructose. Researchers found that fructose helped stabilize the blood sugar levels and didn't increase weight or cholesterol levels.

Fructose, commonly known as fruit sugar, is preferred over other types of sugars in the food industry is because it is cheap and sweeter than the rest. Consumption of fructose in large amounts has been associated with obesity. Previous research says that High Fructose Corn Syrup added in food lead to overconsumption of calories that results in increasing weight. The present study too says that fructose intake in moderate levels has no harmful effects on health and it is the calories that are the root of the problem.

"Attention needs to go back where it belongs, which is on the concept of moderation," said Adrian Cozma, the lead author of the paper.

"We’re seeing that there may be benefit if fructose wasn’t being consumed in such large amounts. All negative attention on fructose-related harm draws further away from the issue of eating too many calories," Cozma said in a news release.

A related study done on fructose published in UK PubMed Central says that some people only partially absorb fructose. Another study in the same journal says that fructose based beverage (6 percent fructose in beverage) caused gastrointestinal distress and reduced capacity to exercise when compared to beverages that had other types of sugars like sucrose or glucose.