Fructose and Fat Cells :: Children and Parenting :: Health and Environmental Concerns

> Children and Parenting > Health and Environmental Concerns > food additives

Fructose and Fat Cells
by author Brad J. King, MS, MFS

According to the US Department of Agriculture, refined sugar–sucrose–accounted for 86 percent of all sweeteners used in 1966. Today, high-fructose corn syrup has a 55 percent stake in the market. The problem is we may be paying for it with our lives.

Research presented in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2004, showed a direct correlation between high-fructose corn syrup and the present epidemic of obesity in North America. The report went on to say that the increase of high-fructose corn syrup foods and beverages–especially soft drinks–far exceeds the consumption of any other food or food group.

Far from Natural

Fructose found naturally in fruit is not the same thing as industrialized fructose. High-fructose corn syrup is highly processed from cornstarch (containing anywhere from 55 to 90 percent fructose). It no longer contains the natural metabolites our bodies need to process it properly.

Dietary professionals and physicians often recommend fructose as a preferential sweetener for those with blood sugar disorders (diabetics and people with excess body fat) because it is a low-glycemic sweetener (its glycemic index is 32). However, research now confirms that fructose may be responsible for enhancing blood sugar disorders by actually creating insulin resistance.

Unlike whole natural fruit (not fruit juice) that contains fibre, high-fructose corn syrup has been documented in human studies to raise both blood sugar and insulin - easily placing the body into a fat storage mode and setting the stage for obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Numerous published studies using rodent models show that rats fed fructose develop insulin resistance in a relatively short period of time (just a few weeks). In fact, NASA neuroscientist Dr. Michael Schmidt notes these effects are so predictable that many scientists now use fructose to induce these conditions in animals so they can study drugs that might correct them.

Fructose is Fat Forming

The problems with fructose don’t end there. Research from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) in Baltimore, Maryland, shows fructose is more lipogenic (fat forming) than any other sugar or starch. It also causes greater elevations in blood fats (triglycerides and cholesterol) than other carbohydrates. Excess fructose consumption has resulted in increases in blood pressure, uric acid, and lactic acid. Research shows that those suffering from high blood pressure, high insulin, high triglycerides, non insulin-dependent diabetes, and postmenopausal women are more susceptible to the negative affects of fructose than other individuals.

The insidious side of industrialized fructose should not be ignored any longer. Check the labels on food products you buy. You’ll do your health a favour by avoiding fructose at all costs. Your life may depend on it.

Brad J. King, MS, MFS, is a nutritional researcher and author of five books, including the international best-seller Fat Wars: 45 Days to Transform Your Body (Wiley, 2002). Subscribe to his free monthly newsletter at fatwars.com.

Source: alive #267, January 2005

Sending the Right Messages to Your Fat Cells
In last month's Healthy Weight Loss column, I touched on the fact that many of us unwittingly create an unfavourable hormonal environment that all too often expands our 30 billion fat cells.

Sweet, White, and Deadly
Diet soft drinks, with their promise of low-calorie pop consumption, are the dieter's saviour and the soft drink industry's bonanz.

A Time to Take Charge
In our toxic world, children are the most susceptible victims. Some of the worst chemicals are consumed in a typical Canadian child's diet on a daily basis, including several grams of trans fatty acids - the toxic byproduct of vegetable oil hydrogenation.

Monitoring After-Meal Blood Sugar
One of the most important goals in helping people manage blood sugar, lose weight, and control appetite is preventing excessive after-meal elevations in blood sugar levels.

Trans Ban
Last fall, NDP leader Jack Layton introduced a motion in Parliament that called on the federal government to present a Bill to eliminate trans fat from food sold in Canada.

Colourful and Toxic
Artificial food colourings are harmful to children, but foods marketed to kids are often loaded with them. These common food additives aren't good for adults, either.

G...I can't Believe It's a Glycemic Index
If you're confused about GI or glycemic index, you're not alone. The idea of high-glycemic foods or low-glycemic foods is not necessarily intuitive. Sometimes our highs and lows can get mixed up; this article will help you understand how this index divides foods into different groups.

The G.I. Diet Clinic
This is the newest book from Rick Gallop, one of Canada's leading promoters of healthy eating and living habits. During his 15-year term as president of Ontario's Heart and Stroke Foundation, Gallop was recognized for achievements in fundraising for medical research and wellness.