Researchers found that fructose and glucose communicate with the brain through different biological pathways, even though they contain the same number of calories. The discovery may help explain why foods and drinks containing high-fructose corn syrup can be especially appealing. Credit: Shutterstock Fructose and glucose are two common sugars found in many foods and drinks. Although they contain the same number of calories, new research suggests the brain responds to them in very different ways.