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Some Carbs Turn to Fat Fast in Your Body

eating carbs, crackerAccording to new research, people on low-carb diets lose weight in part because they get less fructose, a type of sugar that can be made into body fat quickly.

The study shows that the type of carbs someone eats can be as important as the amount. Although fructose is naturally found in high levels in fruit, it is also added to many processed foods, especially in the form of high-fructose corn syrup.

For the study, six healthy people performed three different tests involving drinking various mixes of glucose and fructose. Researchers found that fructose turned into body fat much more quickly, and that having it for breakfast changed how the body handled fats at lunch.

Sources:

Dr. Mercola''s Comments Dr. Mercola's Comments:

It’s great to find this study is bringing some attention to the dangers of fructose. So often it’s mistakenly labeled as a “healthy” form of sugar, when in reality too much fructose will pack on the pounds faster than a buffet of French fries and Krispy Cremes.

If you need to lose weight, fructose is one type of sugar you’ll want to avoid, particularly in the form of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Actually, even if you don’t need to lose weight, you should still avoid excess fructose if you want to stay healthy.

Eating + Fructose = Fat

Part of what makes HFCS such an unhealthy product is that it is metabolized to fat in your body far more rapidly than any other sugar.

"Our study shows for the first time the surprising speed with which humans make body fat from fructose," said Dr. Elizabeth Parks, associate professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern Medical Center and lead author of the study in Science Daily.

“Once you start the process of fat synthesis from fructose, it's hard to slow it down," she said. “ … The bottom line of this study is that fructose very quickly gets made into fat in the body."

How does this happen?

Well, most fats are formed in your liver, and when sugar enters your liver, it decides whether to store it, burn it or turn it into fat. Fructose, however, bypasses this process and turns full speed ahead into fat.

"It's basically sneaking into the rock concert through the fence," Dr. Parks told Science Daily. "It's a less-controlled movement of fructose through these pathways that causes it to contribute to greater triglyceride [i.e. fat] synthesis.”

Ironically, the very products that most people rely on to lose weight -- low-fat diet foods -- are often those that contain the most fructose! Even “natural” diet foods often contain fructose as a sweetener.

Fat is Not the Only Downside to Fructose

Aside from the weight gain, eating too much fructose is linked to increases in 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 leads to “decreased signaling to the central nervous system from 2 hormones (leptin and insulin).”

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.

“The long-term consumption of diets high in … fructose is likely to lead to increased energy intake, weight gain, and obesity,” the analysis concluded. “The potential for weight gain from increased fructose consumption may only represent one aspect of its metabolic consequences.”

Are You Eating More Fructose Than You Realize?

Since the 1970s the consumption of HFCS in the United States has skyrocketed. The largest contributor is easily soda (The number one source of calories in America!), for which HFCS is the primary sweetener. But HFCS is not only in sugary drinks. It’s in the vast majority of processed foods, even those you wouldn’t think of as sweet, such as ketchup, soup, salad dressing, bread and crackers.

So even if you don’t drink soda, if you eat processed foods you’re likely consuming fructose -- and a lot of it.

Beware of HFCS Propaganda

To further complicate matters, the Corn Refiners Association recently launched a major advertising and PR campaign designed to rehabilitate HFCS’ reputation. The group is spending $20 million to $30 million on the campaign, including running full-page ads in more than a dozen major newspapers, claiming that the product is no worse for you than sugar.

This, of course, is not true.

The Corn Growers Association wants you to believe that HFCS has the "same natural sweeteners as table sugar and honey." But don’t fall for it. HFCS is highly processed and does not exist anywhere in nature.

The Safest Sweeteners Around?

Ideally I recommend that you avoid sugar, in all forms. This is especially important for people who are overweight or have diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

But if you’re looking for the occasional sweet treat, I recommend, in this order:

1. The herb stevia (this is the best and safest sweetener, although illegal to use according to the FDA)
2. Raw, organic honey
3. Organic cane sugar

I recommend avoiding all other types of sugar, including fructose, HFCS, and any type of artificial sweeteners. The easiest way to do this is to stop drinking soda and stop eating processed foods.

Small amounts of whole fruit, which do contain fructose, are not a problem. If you’re healthy, you can enjoy fruit in moderation according to your nutritional type.


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Comment on This Article Community Comments (55)
 
 
Posted On Jul 29, 2008
The fructose found in fruit is accompanied by enzymes, minerals and other nutrients to aid its proper digestion and assimilation, therefore less fat accumulation. 

No such thing exists in any of the widely used processed fructose products. After margarine, processed fructose is one of the worst foods available.

Papa Lee


 
BobbyLee
Apprentice User Apprentice User, Joined On 6/2006
BobbyLee  
Replied

Aaltrude
Moderator User Moderator User Joined On 4/2007
Aaltrude  
 
Posted On Jul 29, 2008
I would consider aspartame as one of the worst foods available though perhaps in reality it should be called a non food.


Cheryl Rounds
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 10/2006
Cheryl Rounds  
 
Posted On Jul 29, 2008
The fructose is also bound to fiber which slows the rate at which the fructose is released


MonkeyPuss
Novice User Novice User Joined On 7/2008
MonkeyPuss  
 
Posted On Jul 31, 2008
I don't know the source she used, but my Dad's wife is on a kick she
calls the "chimpanzee diet".  I shouldn't call it a kick I guess.  It
involves taking 2-3 fruits of any kind, 2 servings of greens (like raw
kale or spinach), adding 2 cups of water, and sweetening slightly with
organic honey if needed.  All is chopped up in a blender, and while it
looks sorta like pond scum, it actually tastes darn good.  There are a
lot of phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, fiber,
(even proteins I think) in this mix.  I am NOT an adventurous eater,
but since nothing in the mixture was weird by itself, and I DO want to
get healthier, I was willing to try it.  Now I have my own mixer out so
I can make the "chimp mixes" as well.  Kids even like them, and have
fun making their own "chimp" combinations to drink.  One less battle to
try to get your kids to eat fruits and vegetables-  YAY!  And so much
better for them than most of the junk they eat for snacks these days.


Debb66mom26
Novice User Novice User Joined On 9/2007
Debb66mom26  
 
Posted On Aug 14, 2008

Why does MonkeyPuss have negative points?  what is so wrong with this comment???



Reverend Alan
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 12/2007
Reverend Alan  
 
Posted On Aug 14, 2008

Hello Aaltrude, Let us call Aspartame a poison, "non-food" just doesn't quite scare the hell out of people enough in my opinion.  



kaleyna
Novice User Novice User Joined On 6/2006
kaleyna  
 
Posted On Aug 14, 2008

Hi MonkeyPuss. Anyway you can find out and then post where your stepmom found this greens shake recipe/diet? I would love to read more. I tried a google of chimpanzee diet but didn't find anything :)

Thanks!



K2L
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 2/2007
K2L  
 
Posted On Aug 16, 2008

Correct on commercial Vs natural fruit fructose.  It is the co-natural ingredients  found in unprocessed foods that make the difference.  HFCS is used because it is cheaper than cane or beet sugar but contains NO NUTRIENTS.  It is a hollow calorie.   Today much of it is made from waste cellulose processed with Hydrochloric acid and other chemicals and has no relationship to corn and little relationship to food.

Reverend Alan's comment on Aspartame as a  poison is right on, needs no further comment.



Tweetybird
Novice User Novice User Joined On 6/2006
Tweetybird  
 
Posted On Sep 11, 2008

Try this for "chimpanzee" drinks:  www.greensmoothiechallenge.com


 
 
 
Posted On Jul 29, 2008
When I took nutrition two years ago our teacher said several time that sugar is sugar no matter what form it comes in, and that it all does the same thing in you body. It always made me think, " no wonder we have such a problem with obesity and diabetes in this country, when people in the medical profession are so misinformed".

 
bmc
Savvy User Savvy User, Joined On 2/2007
bmc  
Replied

Rett
Novice User Novice User Joined On 11/2006
Rett  
 
Posted On Aug 14, 2008

High fructose corn syrup and soybean oil is in everything processed today.  Makes me want to slap somebody.  I wrote Hellmann's about it and I got back a generic response that was typical public relations bull do.  They wanted me to know soybean oil has been an ingredient since 1950 and is a safe, healthy ingredient to consumers.  Products that are suppose to be great for diabetics have HFCS.  Energy drinks for kids have HFCS.  It's all propaganda from the food industry.  I saw a commercial a while ago that suggested a popular soda pop was good food.  Say what????  



K2L
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 2/2007
K2L  
 
Posted On Aug 14, 2008

Correct, Sugar is Sugar by any other name it is still sugar.  Sucrose, fructose, dextrose, lactose, maltose,  honey, maple syrup. or molasses, it is all sugar.  I have been studying health for 30 years and the medical profession is still arguing which is better, mono-saccharide or disaccharide, that is one or two molecule carbohydrates.  It makes no difference they enter your bloodstream within 2 minutes and you body has no defense against this happening.  The quantity of sugar causes blood sugar to rise and drive it out of control.  The body then reacts through several mechanisms before the insulin reaction.

In 1896 the total consumption of all sugars, (white sugar, molasses, sorghum, honey) was 4.3 pounds / yr,,  Now in just the commercial HFCS and sucrose it is  over 150 pounds /yr. per person.    

In 1990 I did a statistical analysis of world wide degenerative disease rates per capita per country and compared it to sugar consumption per capita per country for 170 countries of the world.  There was a 96% correlation between the two.

The more sugar consumed equals more degenerative disease.  Forget about what kind of sugar. If you want to be healthy in general eliminate sugar from your diet......

It has taken me many years of study to find these links between sugar and disease, but they do exist.



Slinky33
Novice User Novice User Joined On 4/2008
Slinky33  
 
Posted On Aug 14, 2008

I LOVED K2L's "prisonplanet" comment in response to the granite countertop article, but I'm not sure I can totally follow the reasoning with the comment here...considering we live MUCH longer now than we did back in 1896.  

Don't get me wrong.  I have eliminated all refined sugar from my diet during the past year.  Occasionally I will put a small amount of maple syrup on a whole grain pancake or some honey on whole grain bread - but it is taking smaller quantities to satisfy me and now almost seems too sweet.  It is interesting to note that I am actually starting to crave fruit.  I NEVER did that before.  Watermelon and peaches did the trick this week.  I am not worried about the fructose in fruit.  I have enough real problems to worry about.  



heatherj
Novice User Novice User Joined On 4/2008
heatherj  
 
Posted On Aug 14, 2008

Slinky,

The life expectancy difference does not say nearly as much about the general health of adults as you might think.  Much of the difference can be attributed to decreased infant and child mortality--and much of that can be attributed to such simple things as better sanitation, handwashing (how many birthing women/babies died in the 1800's because the doctor had seen several other patients before attending a birth--all without washing his HANDS?), and antibiotics.



K2L
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 2/2007
K2L  
 
Posted On Aug 16, 2008

heatherj's answer to longevity hits the nail on the head.  Life expectancy increase in the last 100 yrs in the US can nearly totally be attributed to improvements in public water and sanitation practices, and sanitation practices by doctors and not the medical or pharmaceutical industries in general.  America has now dropped out of the top 20 countries in the world for longevity because we are one of the best fed but worst nourished countries due to  our processed foods and dependance upon big Pharma drugs.  The current generation  in the US is the first in 100 years that will not live as long as their parents.


 
 
 
Posted On Jul 29, 2008
people generally don't realise that a smoothie, or carton of fruit juice, is maybe not  such a seemingly good idea....You may very well  end up wearng it!

 
david
Savvy User Savvy User, Joined On 8/2006
david  
Replied

Aaltrude
Moderator User Moderator User Joined On 4/2007
Aaltrude  
 
Posted On Jul 29, 2008
Rather than treat these drinks as an occasional treat there are some people who consume them regularly.

 
 
 
Posted On Aug 14, 2008

This is curious:  the frugivore[mainly fruit eater]is always the thinnest person in the room.  Terrible teeth, but otherwise healthy looking.  It's not the best diet unless you are a monkey, I guess, but it doesn't seem to make primates "fat."  I don't trust anything studies using fracionates or isolates tell me.  And I hope they're not using my tax dollars for this "research," either.


 
tamnadia72
Novice User Novice User, Joined On 10/2007
tamnadia72  
 
 
 
Posted On Aug 13, 2008

I would find this study a lot more interesting if they had used actual fruit, with the fruitose content measured.  "Processing" the fruit to isolate fruitose may alter how the body uses it.  When in Hawaii we used to chew raw sugarcane.  It's affect on my blood sugar and carbohydrate cravings were much different than using sugar as a condiment, let alone eating raw surgar.


 
Always Curious
Novice User Novice User, Joined On 8/2008
Always Curious  
 
 
 
 
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