Health Benefits of Substituting Added Sugars with Fruits in Developing Value-Added Food Products: A Review

Increased intake of added sugar is associated with nutrient deficiencies and higher risk of several non-communicable diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, dental caries, and certain type of cancers. The current consumption of added sugar is much higher than the dietary recommendations in many parts of the world. To minimize the intake of added sugar, and enjoy the delicious sweet taste, the natural sugars from fruits can provide an excellent transition to replace white sugar in everyday diet. Fruits, in its various forms, have the potential to blend with ingredients of many food products and add sweet taste along with several healthy bioactive compounds. This article provides the health consequences of increased intake of added sugars and the health benefits of fruit-based value-added products. The scope of using fruit extracts, concentrates, dried fruits, and fruit powders in the preparation of various food products to replace the added sugar has been discussed.