Originally published October 25 2005
Fructose may be affecting the metabolism of soda drinkers, boosting fat storage and obesity
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A new study in Obesity Research has rekindled the controversy that surrounds high fructose corn syrup and its relation to the current obesity epidemic, as research suggests fructose impacts metabolic rates so that it favors fat storage.
High fructose corn syrup is not the same as the corn syrup you use to make pecan pie or candy during the holidays.
Made by treating cornstarch with enzymes, it's about half fructose and half glucose (regular corn syrup is all glucose).
You won't find bottles of this stuff on supermarket shelves.
But you will see it listed as a primary ingredient in soft drinks and fruit beverages, which are the leading sources of high fructose corn syrup in the American diet.
Even ketchup, barbecue sauce and marinades contain the sweetener.
Some experts believe our bodies treat high fructose corn syrup more like a fat than a sugar.
Peter Havel, a nutrition researcher at the University of California, Davis, who has studied the metabolic effects of fructose, has found that several hormones involved in the regulation of body weight do not respond to fructose as they do to other types of sugars, such as glucose.
"Fructose doesn't appear to signal the hormonal systems involved in the long-term regulation of food intake and energy metabolism," he said.
The debate picked up steam recently with the release of a new study in the July issue of Obesity Research that suggests fructose alters our metabolic rate in a way that favors fat storage.
Havel and researchers at the University of Cincinnati and the German Institute of Human Nutrition fed mice a fructose-sweetened drink, which caused them to store more fat than mice that drank water even though they did not consume more calories.
Richard Adamson, vice president of scientific and technical affairs for the American Beverage Association, said the study was "seriously flawed" because "mice are not humans and fructose is not high fructose corn syrup."
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml