Fructose, Is There A Reason To Be Concerned About This Sugar In Our Diets? 

Summary of an article on the Harvard Health Blog (link at bottom). 

Fructose consumption has sky rocketed out of control essentially at the same time and proportional to many health problems (obesity / weight gain, diabetes, and  nonalcoholic fatty liver disease).

Glucose is easily used for energy by cells in the body, but ONLY the liver breaks down fructose.

Fructose enters the liver and ends up causing the production of triglycerides (fat, some of which will infiltrate the liver and some that will likely end up in blood vessel walls), uric acid (seen in high amounts in gout, the article also mentions that it reduces protection of the cardiovascular system), and free radicals (which destroy cells and are linked to cancer).

Chronic high consumption of fructose causes insulin resistance and diabetes.

Diabetes is deadly, by the way, causing or at least contributing to a huge number of deaths in the US every year.

It can result in many very serious problems.

It often leads to neuro-musculokeletal problems like those seen commonly in a Chiropractic office with peripheral neuropathy and poor healing (including from neck pain and back pain). It can lead to slower recovery if you’re hurt in a car accident or when playing sports.

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Where is fructose in our food?

Fructose is naturally occurring in food like fruit.

The increase in it’s consumption is primarily by way of processed foods that add things like high fructose corn syrup to everything.

Fructose is used for several reasons, none of which are because it’s healthy… it’s cheap, it’s very sweet, and acute consumption doesn’t cause a big insulin spike like glucose.

Many, so called ‘healthy’ sweeteners are very high in fructose with agave syrup being a great example of a sweetener which is loaded with fructose.

Fructose is another very good reason to stop eating processed foods and soft drinks.

Do You Need Help With Weight Loss and Diet?

www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-fructose-bad-for-you-201104262425