Health Effects of Fructose Consumption
Fructose
Turns into Fat Far Faster than Other Sugars, and Fats. Lately, the media has
finally begun reporting on the science of fructose, which clearly shows it is
far worse than other sugars. Fructose is processed in your liver, and unlike
other sugars, most of it gets shuttled into fat storage. This is why fructose
is a primary culprit behind obesity—far more so than other sugars. According to
the news report above, drinking two bottles of soda per day can make you gain a
pound of fat per week!
Aside from the weight gain, eating too much fructose is linked to increased
triglyceride levels. In one study, eating fructose raised triglyceride levels
by 32 percent in men! Triglycerides, the chemical form of fat found in foods
and in your body, are not something you want in excess amounts.Intense research
over the past 40 years has confirmed that elevated blood levels of
triglycerides, known as hypertriglyceridemia, puts you at an increased risk of
heart disease.
Meanwhile, one of the most thorough scientific analyses published to date on this topic found that fructose consumption not only leads to insulin resistance but also decreases leptin signaling to your central nervous system. Leptin is responsible for controlling your appetite and fat storage, as well as telling your liver what to do with its stored glucose. When your body can no longer “hear” leptin’s signals, weight gain, diabetes and a host of related conditions may occur.
So, as you can see, fructose contributes to poor health through a number of mechanisms.
-JJ Virgin, PhD, CNS
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