The team, from the University of Hohenheim, Germany, analysed the microbiota composition of 12 healthy females following consecutively different high-fructose d

The team, from the University of Hohenheim, Germany, analysed the microbiota composition of 12 healthy females following consecutively different high-fructose diets, first a fruit diet (100 g/day fructose from fruit and vegetables) and then, after a low-fructose phase, a high fructose syrup (HFS) diet (100 g/day fructose from syrup) and characterised the responses of bacterial communities after the different dietary interventions. The report concludes that a high-intake of fructose syrup causes a reduction of beneficial butyrate producing bacteria and a gut microbiota profile that may affect unfavourably host lipid metabolism, whereas high consumption of fructose from fruit seems to modulate the composition of the gut microbiota in a beneficial way supporting digestive health and counteracting harmful effects of excessive fructose. Besides a high fructose content, the authors note that the high fruit diet was characterised by a relatively high content of fiber. They therefore point out that observed alterations in gut microbiota may at least partially reflect changes driven by a higher intake of fiber rather than changes in response to the high-fructose consumption. Fibre is an important component of the human diet and has known health benefits including lowering cholesterol and improving blood glucose responses. Dietary fibre as a prebiotic has specific effects on the microbial populations and its function as individual taxa have been shown to selectively metabolise discrete fibre structures. To me, although I don't really know a lot, it seems quite logical that fruit is generally good for you and quite hard to overeat. We've been consuming fruits for thousands of years and although agriculture may have increased availability and nutritional value, comparing 10g of fructose found in an apple to 10g of fructose found in candy is nonsensical.