Final answer:
For individuals with diabetes mellitus, fructose is preferred over sucrose or glucose as a sweetening agent because its metabolism does not directly raise blood glucose levels. Sucrose, being a disaccharide with glucose, is not recommended due to the immediate impact on blood sugar. High-starch foods are also discouraged due to their breakdown into glucose that can cause blood sugar spikes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Individuals with diabetes mellitus need to manage their blood glucose levels to prevent complications. When consuming sugars, fructose is generally preferred because it has a different metabolic pathway compared to glucose. Fructose does not trigger a rapid increase in blood glucose levels, as it is metabolized by the liver, bypassing the initial pathway of glucose utilization that requires insulin.
Sucrose consumption is not recommended for diabetics because it is a disaccharide composed of one molecule of glucose and one molecule of fructose. Since it contains glucose, its consumption leads to an immediate rise in blood glucose levels, which requires insulin for proper cellular uptake and utilization.
Diabetics are also urged to avoid foods high in starch because starch is composed of long chains of glucose molecules that break down into glucose upon digestion. This results in spikes in blood glucose levels, which is problematic for individuals with diabetes who have impaired glucose regulation.