Fructose linked to fatty artery deposits, study says
a higher risk of developing fatty deposits in the arteries compared
to those drinking products containing glucose, according to a new
study.
The findings could put further pressure on the industry to rethink how it formulates its products, particularly as consumers have become increasingly concerned about the effects of additives and ingredients. In the University of California at Davis study participants were put on a balanced diet of 30 per cent fat and 55 per cent complex carbohydrates. Of the study group, 13 drank glucose-sweetened drinks as well, while the other 10 consumed only fructose-based products. After just two weeks of the nine week study, Kimber Stanhope and his fellow researchers found that post-meal blood fat levels had increased in the fructose group, while levels in those consuming glucose-sweetened dropped. The researchers also found a link between fructose consumed in drinks and a boost in fasting blood concentrations of Low density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol. These levels did not seem to be change in those drinking glucose-sweetened beverages, the researchers said. People who are already at risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease should think twice before consuming high amounts of fructose-containing beverages, they concluded. The news could come at a bad time for the industry. Within the US alone, consumption of fructose over the past 40 years has risen by 135 per cent, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). However, industry associations like the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) have repeatedly hit out at scientific studies suggesting that fructose, when used in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) for drink maunfacture is uniquely responsible for people becoming obese. The industry argues that HFCS is made from 50 per cent fructose and 50 per cent glucose. The CRA pointed in particular to findings published in the journal Nutrition, which reported that high fructose corn syrup fed to 30 lean female volunteers indicated that the sweetener had the same effects as sucrose. The women, who had an average age of 33, were randomly assigned to consume a beverage sweetened with either sucrose or HFCS. The researchers, led by Kathleen Melanson from the University of Rhode Island reported that no significant differences were observed between any of the measured blood variables were observed as a result of drinking the sucrose- or fructose-sweetened beverages. Source: 67th American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions, Chicago "Fructose Increases Heart Risk Factors -- and Weight"Authors: Kimber Stanhope et al
