Fructose, friend or foe?

Fructose is one of the main sources of daily "sweetness". Many people like to eat desserts when they are unhappy. The sweetness brought by fructose can dispel the haze in their hearts. However, there has always been controversy about fructose. Is it a "friend" or a potential "enemy" in our healthy life?

Introduction to Fructose

In daily life, common sugars include fructose, sucrose, and glucose, with a sweetness ratio of 175:100:75. Among them, fructose is the sweetest, has a low glycemic index, and has a good flavor.

1. Natural fructose

Natural fructose is found in foods such as fruits, corn, and honey.

2. Artificial fructose

Artificial fructose is often mixed with glucose to make fructose syrup (fructose content is about 42%)/high corn syrup, which is found in "processed foods" such as biscuits, carbonated drinks, ice cream, milk tea, etc. According to relevant data, the sugar content of 500ml milk tea is about equal to 14 sugar cubes.

Compared with other sugars, fructose corn syrup is sweeter and has a flavor similar to natural fruit juice, which can enhance the taste stimulation. However, fructose corn syrup is mainly metabolized by the liver and is not easy to produce a sense of fullness, so it is easy to consume too much.

It seems that natural fructose is healthier than artificial fructose, but now more and more studies have confirmed that even natural fructose cannot be consumed without limit; and the increased intake of high fructose corn syrup is closely related to the increased incidence of chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes.

Fructose - the sweet killer

At present, there are more and more doubts about high fructose corn syrup internationally, and its negative impact on health is gradually surfacing.

1. Animal Experiments

In animal experiments, high fructose corn syrup can cause sugar metabolism disorders and affect the secretion of dopamine , changing its function. In pregnant animals, high fructose corn syrup can enhance insulin resistance , which has potential adverse effects on the health of offspring.

2. Human trials

In human controlled trials, it was found that excessive intake of high fructose corn syrup may increase the release of glucocorticoids, leading to a stronger feeling of hunger the next morning.

At the same time, excessive intake of fructose and high fructose corn syrup leads to liver damage - liver fatty degeneration , which is not uncommon. In obese school-age children, reducing the intake of high fructose corn syrup for 6 weeks can be observed to reduce triglyceride levels and improve liver fatty degeneration. Other studies have found that high fructose corn syrup intake can also increase triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein and cholesterol.

A research paper in Cell Press mentioned that fructose is a metabolic toxin that has adverse effects on the body by targeting the gut-liver axis. High fructose intake, especially the intake of fructose syrup, can lead to impaired intestinal barrier function, imbalance of intestinal flora and liver inflammatory response , which in turn induces obesity, metabolic syndrome and fatty liver, hypertension, hyperglycemia and other diseases.

Fructose and Cancer

The study further found that a high-fructose diet can also induce inflammation of the immune system and cause a variety of diseases including cancer.

In cancer cells, fructose can serve as a carbon precursor for the synthesis of fatty acids and triglycerides, and plays an important role in the functional regulation of de novo fat synthesis and its gene expression. Fructose can be converted into fatty acids and proteins required for cancer cell proliferation, and fructose is converted into fructose-1-phosphate in the intestine, which can help cancer cells adapt to the hypoxic environment, thereby inducing cancer or promoting cancer progression , especially colorectal cancer and liver cancer.

Fructose intake limit

Multiple studies have found that the harm of fructose occurs after long-term and large-scale intake. What is the limit of "excessive"?

The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" mentions the principle of "less oil and salt, control sugar and limit alcohol", emphasizes controlling the intake of added sugar, and recommends a daily intake of ≤50 g of sugar, preferably <25 g of sugar (≈6 sugar cubes, no or less sugary drinks).

In daily life, 500ml of sugary drinks contains 40~70g of sugar, and 100g of yogurt contains 9.5g of sugar.

In summary, fructose can be both a "friend" and a hidden "enemy" in people's lives. Although it can bring short-term happiness, excessive and long-term intake will bring health risks. While enjoying the happiness brought by fructose, we should also pay attention to our own dietary balance and health, consume natural fructose in moderation, try to eliminate artificial fructose, and maintain a healthy lifestyle.