Final answer:
Fruits like apples in my area contain fructose, a natural simple sugar, which is a monosaccharide and is different from added sugars found in processed foods that offer less nutritional value.
Step-by-step explanation:
Fruits in my area, like many others, contain natural sugars which primarily consist of fructose, a simple sugar found in fruits. For example, a common fruit such as an apple contains about 20 grams of carbohydrates, which include fructose. Sugars such as fructose are considered monosaccharides, meaning they are simple carbohydrates consisting of one sugar unit. It is a structural isomer of glucose, another simple sugar or monosaccharide commonly found in plant sources. Fructose is distinct in having a ketone functional group, whereas glucose has an aldehyde group.
Added sugars, on the other hand, are often found in processed foods such as sugar-sweetened beverages, grain-based desserts, and dairy desserts, which are low in other nutrients. Unlike natural sugars that come from fruits, added sugars do not bring additional nutritional benefits and are just added for taste, texture, or preservation.