Monday, April 27, 2009

Fructose Worse Than Glucose?

The body metabolizes different sugars in different ways. Peter Havel and his colleagues conducted a study over a period of 10 weeks at the University Of California.There were around 32 obese men and women who drank either fructose or glucose sweetened beverages during the period.
Both groups gained weight,but it was interesting to note that the group that took the fructose beverages gained fat on their belly,whereas the glucose group gained fat under the skin.
It is a well known fact that abdominal fat is linked to higher risk for heart attacks and strokes. In addition to this,the fructose group also had higher cholesterol and became less sensitive to the insulin released in the body.
This does not mean that you can gorge on table sugar(you still have to keep a watch on the AMOUNT you consume),it only means that fructose sweeteners are worse than glucose sweetners!
The bottom line: limit sugar consumption on the whole,and avoid foods containing High Fructose Corn Syrups (HFCS)as far as possible.
Read more:
  1. Times Of India: Fructose Worse Than Glucose for Human Health
  2. The Journal Of Clinical Investigation: Fructose VS Glucose

17 comments:

Pooja said...

Very informative Sweta..Thanks for the post :)

Pearl said...

so we should limit fruit?

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

Ok, I'm throwing the jelly beans in the trash I type. My bad = (

Sweta (My Indian Dietitian) said...

Pooja-thanks for visiting :)
Pearl-the study was on drinks(sodas/juices) using high fructose corn syrup(HFCS).
No need to cut down on fruits-that has natural fructose,along with loads of fiber,vitamins and other nutrients.So,enjoy your daily serving of fruits :)
Katherine-way to go!! One small step at a time!

Anonymous said...

Good post, Sweta. Thanks for sharing! And, thanks for adding me to your blogroll!

Jenn said...

I definitely try to watch out for the amount of sugar I take in. Though, I'm notorious for having a sweet tooth, it can be very difficult at time.

Gina; The Candid RD said...

Interesting. Fructose doesn't need insulin to be metabolized, so wouldn't it be better for diabetics? Plus, what about the fructose in fruit? I'm just thinking out loud. You provided some good info :)

Sweta (My Indian Dietitian) said...

Jenn-that's life!!
Gina-good points.Here are my thoughts/views:
a)I think the reduced sensitivity to insulin in this study is due to the accumulation of abdominal fat.
b)The study used HFCS,which is way more than the fructose found naturally in fruits.Besides,fruits are also loaded with other nutrients,I guess the fibre and the amount of fructose in fruit are the plus points.
If anyone has better info-do feel free to share.Always feels good to exercise the grey matter ;)

theUngourmet said...

This is good information. Thanks for sharing it!

Thanks for your comments over my way today! In answer to your question, Kosher salt does not contain any preservatives and is generally derived from sea water or underground sources. The texture is coarser and is easier to pick up with your fingers while cooking, and it absorbs moisture more quickly than regular salt. I wouldn't recommend it for baking unless you wanted to sprinkle it over a loaf of bread before baking. :0)

Anonymous said...

Interesting study. I've heard that if one's trying to lose weight, it's best to limit sugar alltogether, but I thought natural sweets in fruits were still better for us.

Varsha Vipins said...

Now thats SOME news..so we need to take care while gulping in fruits as well duh..thanks for the great info Sweta..:)

chow and chatter said...

everything in moderation thats what I would say Glucose or Fructose is calories and will cause weight gain in large amounts, I am an RD but eat a little choc every day - the key is a little!!!

Sweta (My Indian Dietitian) said...

5 Star Foodie,Varsha-the article is about fructose used as a sweetner(HFCS).Will make that clear in the post.Please don't stop eating fruits-they are the healthiest snacks.
Chow and Chatter-yup,MODERATION!!

saffronapron.blogspot.com said...

Thanks for the very informative post sweta. That was news to me.

Gina said...

Mmmm, I love Indian food! So, I should puree the spinach, and maybe add some curry powder? haha, I'm just assuming that dish has curry in it, which I love!

Malar Gandhi said...

an eye opening article. well written.

Sweta (My Indian Dietitian) said...

Smitha & Malar-Thank you:)
Gina:you can check my earlier post(Feb),I've put up the recipe for Palak Tofu sabzi!