High-Fructose Corn Syrup Causes Insulin Resistance
Science Daily - March 3, 2009
Cell Metabolism - March 2009; 9(3):252-64
A new study in mice sheds light on at least part of the reason for the
insulin resistance that can come from diets high in high-fructose corn
syrup, a sweetener found in most sodas and many other processed foods.
Fructose is much more readily metabolized to fat in the liver than glucose,
and in the process can lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. NAFLD in
turn leads to hepatic insulin resistance and type II diabetes.
Researchers showed that mice fed a high-fructose diet could be protected
from insulin resistance if a gene known as transcriptional coactivator PPARg
coactivator-1b (PGC-1b) was "knocked down" in the animals' liver and fat
tissue. PGC-1b controls the activity of several other genes, including one
responsible for building fat in the liver. This suggests an important role
for PGC-1b in the pathogenesis of fructose-induced insulin resistance.
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
According to the latest statistics, new cases of diabetes have increased by
90 percent in the last 10 years, and diabetes or pre-diabetes now strikes
one in four Americans. Those are absolutely astounding statistics to say the
least.
There's no doubt in my mind that one of the primary fuels for this epidemic
is the excess consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Several
studies over the past few years have also come to this conclusion, including
this latest study in Cell Metabolism, in which the researchers note:
"Insulin resistance is a common feature of the metabolic syndrome and type 2
diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Both have reached epidemic proportions worldwide
with the global adoption of the westernized diet along with increased
consumption of fructose, stemming from the wide and increasing use of
high-fructose corn syrup sweeteners.
It is well established that fructose is more lipogenic than glucose, and
high-fructose diets have been linked to hypertriglyceridemia, nonalcoholic
fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and insulin resistance."
Unfortunately, this study does nothing to further the return to a more sane
approach to health, but will likely just create even more problems as they
propose their findings could lead to yet another drug treatment to hamper
the harmful effects of HFCS consumption.
Absolutely in line with the drug model, and one has to seriously wonder if
they weren't behind this study.
The answer is clearly not to create more drugs to combat the problem of
diabetes, but rather to educate the public about healthier eating habits -
which includes AVOIDING high fructose corn syrup as much as possible.
Scientists have clearly linked the rising HFCS consumption to the epidemics
of obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome in the U.S., and medical
researchers have pinpointed various health dangers associated with the
consumption of HFCS compared to regular sugar.
Despite all the evidence, the industry persists in claiming these findings
are untrue, arguing that HFCS is the same as sugar. Their campaign also
relies on nutritional research, but it should be noted that the funding for
many of the major studies in question came from companies with a financial
stake in the outcome.
Reminds me quite a bit of the tobacco lobby's consistent denial that smoking
causes lung cancer until they had no choice but to admit it.
How Much High Fructose Corn Syrup is in Your Diet?
The obesity and diabetes epidemics are no surprise when you consider the
fact that the number one source of calories in America is high fructose corn
syrup in soda.
There are about 40 grams of HFCS per can - more than the American Medical
Association's recommended daily maximum for ALL caloric sweeteners. And
that's without adding in all the corn syrup now found in every type of
processed, pre-packaged food you can think of.
In fact, the use of high fructose corn syrup in the U.S. diet increased a
staggering 10,673 percent between 1970 and 2005, according to the latest
USDA Dietary Assessment of Major Trends in U.S. Food Consumption report.
That too is no major surprise considering that processed foods account for
more than 90 percent of the money Americans spend on their meals.
All in all, according to the USDA's report, about one-quarter of the
calories consumed by the average American is in the form of added sugars -
the majority of which comes from high fructose corn syrup.
Folks, this is an absolute prescription for disaster. Is it any wonder that
we are suffering epidemics of chronic diseases that are contributing to the
economic collapse, as they require expensive drug and surgical solutions
that only treat the symptoms, but do nothing to address the cause of the
disease?
Why High Fructose Corn Syrup IS Worse For You than Sugar
If you need to lose weight, or if you want to avoid diabetes and heart
disease, fructose is one type of sugar you'll want to avoid, particularly in
the form of high-fructose corn syrup.
Part of what makes HFCS such a dangerous sweetener is that it is metabolized
to fat in your body far more rapidly than any other sugar.
According to Dr. Elizabeth Parks, associate professor of clinical nutrition
at UT Southwestern Medical Center and lead author of a study on fructose,
published in the Journal of Nutrition just last year:
"Our study shows for the first time the surprising speed with which humans
make body fat from fructose. Once you start the process of fat synthesis
from fructose, it's hard to slow it down. The bottom line of this study is
that fructose very quickly gets made into fat in your body."
This occurs because 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 simply turns into fat.
Additionally, there's hard empirical evidence showing that refined man-made
fructose like HFCS metabolizes to triglycerides and adipose tissue, not
blood glucose. And one of the most thorough scientific analyses published to
date on this topic found that fructose consumption leads to decreased
signaling to your central nervous system from the hormones leptin and
insulin.
Because insulin and leptin act as key signals in regulating how much food
you eat, as well as your body weight, this suggests that dietary fructose
may contribute to increased food intake and weight gain.
Decreased insulin and leptin signaling is also a main cause of diabetes and
a host of other obesity-related conditions.
How HFCS Contributes to Diabetes
In addition to everything already mentioned -- including these latest
findings that HFCS consumption can lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease,
followed by hepatic insulin resistance and then type 2 diabetes -- research
reported at the 2007 national meeting of the American Chemical Society,
found evidence that soft drinks sweetened with HFCS may contribute to the
development of diabetes because it contains high levels of reactive
compounds that trigger cell and tissue damage that cause diabetes.
Chemical tests among 11 different carbonated soft drinks containing HFCS
were found to have 'astonishingly high' levels of reactive carbonyls.
Reactive carbonyls are undesirable and highly-reactive compounds associated
with "unbound" fructose and glucose molecules, and are believed to cause
tissue damage.
By contrast, reactive carbonyls are not present in table sugar because its
fructose and glucose components are "bound" and chemically stable.
Reactive carbonyls are elevated in the blood of individuals with diabetes
and are linked to the health complications of diabetes. It is estimated that
a single can of soda contains about five times the concentration of reactive
carbonyls than the concentration found in the blood of an adult person with
diabetes.
How HFCS Contributes to Heart Disease
HFCS is also known to significantly raise your triglycerides and LDL (bad
cholesterol). 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.
Additional Health Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup
As if all of that wasn't bad enough, fructose also does not contain any
enzymes, vitamins or minerals so it takes these micronutrients from your
body while it assimilates itself for use.
Unbound fructose, found in large quantities in HFCS, can interfere with your
heart's use of minerals such as magnesium, copper and chromium.
Please note that this does not mean you should avoid whole fruit, however,
as it contains natural fructose together with the enzymes, vitamins and
minerals needed for your body to assimilate the fructose. Eating small
amounts of whole fruit also does not provide a tremendous amount of
fructose, and is not likely to be a problem for most people unless diabetes
or obesity is an issue.
And lastly, adding insult to injury, HFCS is almost always made from
genetically modified corn, which is fraught with its own well documented
side effects and health concerns.
GMO corn will radically increase your risk of developing corn allergies. The
problem with corn allergies are that once you have a corn allergy from GMO
corn you will have an allergy to even healthy organic corn products.
How You Can Drastically Improve Your Overall Health
If you want to drastically improve your health, the answer is quite simple.
To lose weight and reduce your risk of developing metabolic syndrome,
diabetes, and heart disease, STOP drinking soda and processed fruit juices.
Switch to pure water as your beverage of choice and you will be well on your
way to better health.
To preserve your health you also need to focus your diet on whole foods
based on your personal biochemistry, and, if you do purchase packaged foods,
become an avid label reader and avoid foods that contain corn syrup as a
main ingredient.
Related Links:
How High Fructose Corn Syrup Damages Your Body
Debate About Dangers of High-Fructose Corn Syrup
Beware of New Media Brainwashing About High Fructose Corn Syrup
This article is brought to you by www.HealthyHormones.com and www.JointMedic.com.
Sources: Science Daily March 3, 2009; Cell Metabolism March 2009; 9(3):252-64