5 Reasons Why Fructose Is Bad For You

Despite the known fact that too much sugar is bad for health, sugars have become an important part of the standard Western diets. Table sugar in the form of sucrose and High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) represent a major portion of the daily calorie consumption. Here is why excessive fructose is harmful for your health.

1. Increases Fat Content of Body 

Sucrose and fructose, both, are comprised of simple sugars glucose and fructose. Glucose is imperative for the normal functioning of the body. However, the same cannot be said about fructose. Being a natural component of fruits, fructose is ingested in diet but is not produced by the human body. The mechanism by which fructose is metabolized in the body is also very different as compared to glucose. 

While glucose is utilized by nearly all body cells, fructose is metabolized only by the liver cells. When the level of fructose in the body exceeds the metabolic capacity of liver, the liver cells start converting fructose into fat which is exported out of the liver in the form of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL), resulting in hyperlipidemia. 

VLDLs are quite harmful for health and it is now believed that excessive fructose production may be the most important etiological factor behind most of the health disorders caused by increased fat levels in the body including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart problems. 

READ How to Clean Your Fruits and Veggies

2. Escalates the Uric Acid Synthesis 

The metabolic process of fructose is quite different from that of glucose. Fructose turnover in the liver cells ultimately results in the production of uric acid. Excessive fructose can cause the uric acid levels in the body to rise, ultimately resulting in the accumulation of uric acid in body sites such as joints and kidneys. The inevitable result of high fructose diet is development of gout and precipitation of excess uric acid in the form of kidney stones. 

3. Can Lead To Fatty Liver 

High fructose diet can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) which results from the accumulation of the excess fats produced from fructose in the liver cells. Studies have shown individuals with NAFLD to have a high intake of sugary soft drinks which plays more important a role than age, sex and racial factors. 

4. May Cause Cancer 

Fructose has been intimately linked with insulin resistance in the body. High insulin resistance is associated with increase in the level of insulin like growth factor (IGF-1). Rise in the level of IGF-1has been shown to support tumor growth. It is closely associated with an increase in the risk of different types of cancers in the body, particularly the colorectal cancer. 

READ Paleo Diet Dilemma: The Facts About Fructose

5. It Makes You Fat

High fructose diet has been proved to be linked with increased Leptin resistance. Leptin is the key protein involved in the regulation of fat metabolism and storage in the body. With the cells being unresponsive to the effects of Leptin, the fat metabolism steers out of control leading to obesity and a morbid increase in the body mass index (BMI). 

The adverse health effects of high fructose diet is the reason why you need to give a wide berth to fructose in diet, replacing sweetened fruit juices and beverages with healthier foods that have a low fructose content.