|
Is fructose to blame for obesity? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by Barbara Quinn, McClatchy-Tribune
|
|
Friday, 20 April 2007 |
|
|
|
|
I'm confused. Is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) — a common food sweetener — really to blame for our exploding obesity epidemic? Or has it been unfairly singled out as an innocent bystander? This is what I learned:
What is it? High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a sweetener made from corn that contains fructose and glucose — the same ingredients that make sucrose, the sugar we call ... "sugar." Although it is called "high fructose" corn syrup, most formulations of HFCS are similar to sucrose, which is a 50/50 mixture of fructose and glucose. One formulation of HFCS is 42 percent fructose and 58 percent glucose; another is 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose.
Fructose is a sugar that occurs naturally in fruit (hence its name), some vegetables and honey. A cup of apple juice contains about 15 grams of fructose. A cup of soda sweetened with HFCS contains about 13 grams of fructose.
Fructose is metabolized differently than other sugars. It has a lower glycemic index so it causes a lower rise in blood sugars for people with diabetes. Small amounts of fructose help the liver synthesize glycogen — the storage form of glucose that helps marathoners keep going and going.
Fructose is the main component of "fructans" — health-promoting substances in fruits and vegetables that feed the good bacteria in the gut. Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin are fructans that improve digestion.
Too much fructose, however, disturbs the body's ability to control blood sugars. Some studies have shown that high amounts of fructose may contribute to insulin resistance ... a precursor to diabetes. Excess fructose can also cause the liver to produce more fat particles.
Fructose may not help control appetite as well as glucose. Glucose provides fuel to the brain. In the process, it tells sends a signal that says, "I'm here. You can stop feeling hungry now." In contrast, fructose has limited entry into the brain so it doesn't send "I'm satisfied" signals. This may help explain how we can pump 800 calories from a 64-oz. soda into our body and our brain still says, "What's for dinner?"
So, is high fructose corn syrup to blame for our worldwide epidemic of obesity and diabetes? It's probably not that simple, most researchers say. It doesn't explain why Europe — where HFCS is virtually nonexistent — has also had an explosion of obesity.
Truth is, we are eating more sugar, more fruit juice and more foods sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. But cause and effect is difficult to prove.
A recent review on this topic suggests "other dietary factors" may also be involved in our national weight ballooning. For example, one study on overweight kids found they did indeed consume more sugar-sweetened drinks (including fruit juice) than kids who were not overweight. However, the overweight kids also ate more meat, grains and potato chips than the other kids.
Another study found that drinking sodas frequently was significantly linked to being overweight. But so was ordering super-sized portions, eating while watching TV and not getting enough exercise.
Bottom line: Foods that contain high fructose corn syrup can make you fat. And so can Cheetos and Ding-Dongs. As more studies clarify the confusion, I think I'll have fewer Big Gulps.
___
Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. Email her at
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
| Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
