Fructose is a simple sugar carbohydrate or monosaccharide and is different from sucrose or table sugar. In small amounts, fructose can supply your body with energy. In excessive amounts, like any other dietary carbohydrate, fat or protein, fructose will be stored as fat. A specific mixture of fructose called "high fructose corn syrup" is used as a sweetener by commercial food manufacturers because it is inexpensive and very sweet. There are several health concerns that you should be aware of if fructose is a significant part of your diet.
Diabetes
Excessive fructose consumption will increase your risk of type two diabetes. Science Daily also confirms this link between fructose and diabetes. Harvard University states that "women who drank one or more sugar-sweetened soft drinks per day were 83 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than women who drank less than one a month." Even if you avoid soft drinks or soda, your diet may have hidden sources of high fructose corn syrup added fructose, especially if you are active. Harvard and Northwestern University report that many popular sports drinks often have large amounts of added sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Northwestern University explains that the problem is many people, particularly children, are led to believe that sports drinks are healthful. Sports drinks are just "empty calories" coming from cheap sugar and are often as unhealthful and un-nourishing as regular soda.
Obesity
Excessive daily intake of fructose, especially high fructose corn syrup can significantly contribute to obesity. According to Princeton University, high fructose corn syrup is significantly worse than table sugar for you. High fructose corn syrup promotes that storage of fat, particularly over the abdomen, which can pose serious problems to your organs and cardiovascular health. The University of Florida specifically targets fructose as the cause and rise of obesity in America. While fructose provides just four calories per gram, it is not the caloric content that is the biggest factor in obesity. According to Florida, fructose can trick your body into not being full or satisfied after a meal, so you are more likely to continue eating long after you should have stopped. The excess calories are readily stored as fat.
High Blood Pressure
Excessive consumption of fructose can have several other side effects. Excessive fructose can lead to high blood pressure or hypertension, according to the University of Florida. The University of Colorado at Denver confirms this and reports that people who consumed 74 grams of fructose a day, or about two-and-a-half sodas, had a 77 percent risk of developing blood pressure that is 160/100mm hg. This figure is significantly higher than the 120/80mm hg that is considered normal blood pressure. If you already have hypertension, you should avoid foods and beverages that have large amounts of fructose or high fructose corn syrup.
Sources of Fructose
According to the University of Indiana the only natural source of fructose is fresh fruit. The University of California at Los Angeles notes that five main sources of high fructose corn syrup are: bread, cereal, soda, condiments and yogurt. Popular brands of ketchup are almost always sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. Even seemingly healthful breads containing large amounts of fiber can contain high fructose corn syrup. You will have to really make an effort to check the ingredients list on any foods that contain sugar to make certain you are not consuming high fructose corn syrup if you are trying to avoid it.
References
- Princeton University: A Sweet Problem: Princeton Researchers Find That High-Fructose Corn Syrup Prompts Considerably More Weight Gain
- Harvard Health Publications -- Harvard Medical School: Sugar and Obesity: High Calorie Drinks to Blame?
- Life Extension Magazine: Metabolic Danger of High-Fructose Corn Syrup
- MedLine Plus -- U.S National Library of Medicine: Too Much Fructose Could Raise Your Blood Pressure
- University of Chicago: Children Think Sports Drinks are Healthy, New Study Reveals
- Science Daily: Soda Warning? High-Fructose Corn Syrup Linked To Diabetes, New Study Suggests
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