The much-maligned high-fructose corn syrup is a major suspect in the development of many health problems. Evidence is mounting that the consumption of high amount of fructose may trigger problems that can ultimately lead to chronic kidney failure. Consuming excessive amounts of fructose can contribute to obesity and metabolic syndrome, which strongly predicts chronic kidney disease. Metabolizing fructose also involves processing in the kidneys that can cause adverse health problems.
Health Consequences of High-Fructose Corn Syrup
Formulations of high-fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, contain anywhere from 42 to 90 percent fructose. It's sweet and cheap, which is why food manufacturers began using HFCS in dramatically increasing amounts since the 1970s. An article in the April 2004 "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" says consumption of HFCS grew by more than 1,000 percent between 1970 and 1990, far outpacing any other food product on the market. Researchers could not help but notice that as the consumption of fructose increased, so did rates of obesity and metabolic syndrome, among numerous other health issues. A growing body of research has tried and convicted the sweetener, and at least in terms of kidney health, researchers want your doctor to restrict your intake of it.
HFCS in the Kidneys
HFCS is mostly taken up by your liver, but a significant portion also travels through your kidneys, where it causes an increase in uric acid. Sometimes high uric acid levels are temporary; other times they signal that high blood pressure is on the way, and could predict that renal failure may happen. Researchers publishing in the October 2007 "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" said the fructose-uric acid connection may be the major mechanism causing growing rates of chronic kidney disease. Three of those researchers later published in the "Journal of the American Society of Nephrology," saying beverages containing fructose are an independent risk factor for kidney disease. Moreover, because people who have kidney problems are often placed on low-protein diets, they consequently consume more carbohydrates, possibly increasing their chances of consuming more fructose. The researchers said people with chronic kidney disease should be restricted from food or drinks with fructose.
Chronic Kidney Failure
According to data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, between 5 and 20 million people in the United States have chronic kidney disease. The disease is a progressive one, and it means that your kidneys gradually lose function over time. The main job of your kidneys is to filter and remove waste material and excess fluid from your body. Chronic kidney disease, sometimes used interchangeably with "chronic kidney failure," can cause dangerous amounts of fluids and waste buildup in your body. The disease culminates in end-stage renal disease, which necessitates dialysis or a transplant.
HFCS in Chronic Kidney Failure
An animal study in August 2007 demonstrated that HFCS consumption produces metabolic syndrome, which includes high blood pressure, problems with blood lipids and insulin resistances. Testing a hunch that fructose would accelerate the progression of chronic kidney failure, researchers subjected groups of rats to different diets, one of which was 60 percent fructose. In that group, the subjects developed abnormal amounts of protein in their urine. The fructose group also had significantly larger kidneys than comparison groups. Scarring, atrophy and other hallmarks of chronic kidney failure were "markedly worse" in the fructose group.
References
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition;" Potential Role Of Sugar (Fructose) in the Epidemic Of Hypertension, Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome, Diabetes, Kidney Disease, and Cardiovascular Disease; Richard J. Johnson et al.; October 2007
- "Journal of the American Society of Nephrology;" The Effect of Fructose on Renal Biology and Disease; Richard J. Johnson et al; December 2010
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition;" Consumption of High-Fructose Corn Syrup in Beverages May Play a Role in the Epidemic of Obesity; George A. Bray et al.; April 2004
- Reuters: Metabolic Syndrome Predicts Kidney Disease; December 25, 2008
- "Hypertension Research;" Significance of Hyperuricemia on the Early Detection of Renal Failure in a Cohort of Screened Subjects; Kunitoshi Iseki; November 2001
- "American Journal of Physiology - Renal Physiology;" Fructose, but Not Dextrose, Accelerates the Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease; Michael S. Gersch et al.; August 2007
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