A 12-ounce can of soda typically has 39 grams (9.7 teaspoons) of sugar, of which half is typically fructose. Derived from corn, beets and sugar cane, fructose is the sweetest of all natural sugars. Like other processed sugars, some studies have linked fructose to the obesity epidemic, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance.

Ronaldo Ferraris, an NSF-supported researcher at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, is studying whether and how fructose inhibits the intestine's absorption of calcium, which can result in fragile bones, leading to osteoporosis in adults or rickets in children.