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News & Views
Fructose: Putting Things in Perspective
Date: 01/11/10
Recently we told you about a US study from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) which exposed pancreatic cancer cells to fructose. The results showed that fructose prompted a dramatic growth of the malignant cells.
Understandably, this caused some alarm amongst our readers as pancreatic cancer is difficult to treat and very often fatal. Many of you wrote in asking if, in light of the UCLA research, you now need to stop eating fruit, because it contains natural fructose.
The confusion stems from the fact that, up until recently, fructose has been touted as ‘healthy’ since it is found in fruit and doesn’t raise blood sugar levels in the short term. However, now, it is emerging that fructose has been linked to obesity, metabolic syndrome, ‘fatty’ liver and type 2 diabetes.
But before you empty your fruit bowl... here are some essential things you need to know...
If it’s not natural then steer clear of it at all costs!
The real culprit isn’t the harmless natural fructose found in fruit, but High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), which consists of 55 per cent fructose, 45 per cent glucose.
HFCS is the end result of a very complex process of genetic modification and breaking down chains of pure glucose found in cornstarch, by adding 3 different enzymes (alpha-amylase, glucoamylase, glucose-isomerase), fermentation, a process called liquid chromatography and distillation.
So there you have it. HFCS has had the living daylights processed out of it!
Whereas natural fructose, as found in fruit, hasn’t!
Much as the food industry is doing its best to brand HFCS as a healthier alternative to sugar by highlighting its fructose content, their attempts are failing miserably especially with more and more research coming to light highlighting the risks associated with it.
Regular readers of the Daily Health will know that we’ve pointed out the health risks of HFCS many times in the past, as new evidence has emerged To access this information, visit our website: www.thehealthierlife.co.uk
Everything in moderation
In an ideal world, the healthiest option would be to avoid any form of refined sugar. To start with, there is more than enough research linking sugar consumption to cardiovascular disease risk factors such as raised triglyceride levels (blood fats) and heightened levels of both C-reactive protein (inflammation) and oxidative stress (free radical damage).
But ignoring sugar is near impossible, because it is almost everywhere and HFCS is commonly used as a sweetening agent, especially in pre-packed meals, processed foods and fizzy drinks.
In fact, a staggering 3 million bottles of Coke are sold every 4 minutes. That's a worrying statistic considering that Coke, like many other soft drinks (including Sprite, Dr Pepper etc), is sweetened with HFCS.
So before you stop eating fruit alltogether, consider this: there are about 824 calories in a 2 litre bottle of Coke which is sweetened with HFCS, and 23.6 calories in an apple which is sweetened — as nature intended — with natural unprocessed fructose. Now think about all the health risks associated with HFCS and compare it to the health risks associated with eating an apple... which are zero!
Eventually it all adds up, and as usual a healthy balanced diet — including fruit which is rich in antioxidants, fibre and vitamins — will help safeguard your health against cancer, diabetes, obesity, ‘fatty’ liver and many other diseases that have been linked to HFCS.
Fructose: Related Articles
The Hidden Ingredient in Weight Loss Products That Can Make You Fat
High Fructose Corn Syrup: Is It To Blame For The Obesity Epidemic?
Hot Topics:
Combining Omega-3 and Glucosamine for Arthritis Relief
Lower Your Cholesterol And Protect Your Heart Without Statin Drugs
Food and Prescription Medicine: A Potentially Dangerous Cocktail
Sources:
What is High Fructose Corn Syrup? published online, wisegeek.com
Another reason to avoid eating too much fructose, by Dr. Briffa, published online 21.10.10, drbriffa.com
Fructose induces transketolase flux to promote pancreatic cancer growth, Cancer Res. 2010 Aug 1;70(15):6368-76. Epub 2010 Jul 20.
Back to topUnderstandably, this caused some alarm amongst our readers as pancreatic cancer is difficult to treat and very often fatal. Many of you wrote in asking if, in light of the UCLA research, you now need to stop eating fruit, because it contains natural fructose.
The confusion stems from the fact that, up until recently, fructose has been touted as ‘healthy’ since it is found in fruit and doesn’t raise blood sugar levels in the short term. However, now, it is emerging that fructose has been linked to obesity, metabolic syndrome, ‘fatty’ liver and type 2 diabetes.
But before you empty your fruit bowl... here are some essential things you need to know...
If it’s not natural then steer clear of it at all costs!
The real culprit isn’t the harmless natural fructose found in fruit, but High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), which consists of 55 per cent fructose, 45 per cent glucose.
HFCS is the end result of a very complex process of genetic modification and breaking down chains of pure glucose found in cornstarch, by adding 3 different enzymes (alpha-amylase, glucoamylase, glucose-isomerase), fermentation, a process called liquid chromatography and distillation.
So there you have it. HFCS has had the living daylights processed out of it!
Whereas natural fructose, as found in fruit, hasn’t!
Much as the food industry is doing its best to brand HFCS as a healthier alternative to sugar by highlighting its fructose content, their attempts are failing miserably especially with more and more research coming to light highlighting the risks associated with it.
Regular readers of the Daily Health will know that we’ve pointed out the health risks of HFCS many times in the past, as new evidence has emerged To access this information, visit our website: www.thehealthierlife.co.uk
Everything in moderation
In an ideal world, the healthiest option would be to avoid any form of refined sugar. To start with, there is more than enough research linking sugar consumption to cardiovascular disease risk factors such as raised triglyceride levels (blood fats) and heightened levels of both C-reactive protein (inflammation) and oxidative stress (free radical damage).
But ignoring sugar is near impossible, because it is almost everywhere and HFCS is commonly used as a sweetening agent, especially in pre-packed meals, processed foods and fizzy drinks.
In fact, a staggering 3 million bottles of Coke are sold every 4 minutes. That's a worrying statistic considering that Coke, like many other soft drinks (including Sprite, Dr Pepper etc), is sweetened with HFCS.
So before you stop eating fruit alltogether, consider this: there are about 824 calories in a 2 litre bottle of Coke which is sweetened with HFCS, and 23.6 calories in an apple which is sweetened — as nature intended — with natural unprocessed fructose. Now think about all the health risks associated with HFCS and compare it to the health risks associated with eating an apple... which are zero!
Eventually it all adds up, and as usual a healthy balanced diet — including fruit which is rich in antioxidants, fibre and vitamins — will help safeguard your health against cancer, diabetes, obesity, ‘fatty’ liver and many other diseases that have been linked to HFCS.
Fructose: Related Articles
The Hidden Ingredient in Weight Loss Products That Can Make You Fat
High Fructose Corn Syrup: Is It To Blame For The Obesity Epidemic?
Hot Topics:
Combining Omega-3 and Glucosamine for Arthritis Relief
Lower Your Cholesterol And Protect Your Heart Without Statin Drugs
Food and Prescription Medicine: A Potentially Dangerous Cocktail
Sources:
What is High Fructose Corn Syrup? published online, wisegeek.com
Another reason to avoid eating too much fructose, by Dr. Briffa, published online 21.10.10, drbriffa.com
Fructose induces transketolase flux to promote pancreatic cancer growth, Cancer Res. 2010 Aug 1;70(15):6368-76. Epub 2010 Jul 20.
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