INTRODUCTION F ructose is a hexose that is present widely in the diet as free fructose, in the disaccharide, sucrose, and in fructans, which are chains of fructose with a terminal glucose. Fructans are also known as inulins (when the number of fructose molecules, or degree of polymerization or DP, is ≥10), or fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) or oligofructose (when the DP is <10). Fructose has creat...