Fruit Sugar vs. Candy Sugar: A Matter of Density

Fun Fact! According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, the major sugars in fruit (fructose, glucose, and sucrose) are generally not very dense in fresh fruit. Fructose and glucose combine to form sucrose, commonly called table sugar, which occurs naturally in almost all plants and is especially abundant in sugarcane, sugar beets, sugar maple sap, dates, and honey. Sucrose produced commercially, mostly from sugarcane and sugar beets, is concentrated and refined before it is added to foods and beverages. A medium-sized apple contains about 19 g of sugar, compared with about 35 g in an average chocolate candy bar.

Britannica notes that fruits also supply other nutrients such as vitamin C and fiber, which are absent from sweets, and that this combination with relatively low sugar levels helps temper sudden rises in blood sugar. Sugar concentrations are higher in dried fruits and in fruit juices with added sugars.

Source: Rogers K. What’s the difference between sugar in fruit and sugar in sweets and candy? Encyclopaedia Britannica. Accessed November 4, 2026. https://www.britannica.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-sugar-in-fruit-and-sugar-in-sweets-and-candy