Let’s face facts. We all crave sweet things at some point. What sweetener should I use if I make dessert at home? What should you put in your cup of coffee? It shouldn’t contain high-fructose corn syrup. This is because it will make you fat. How much worse is high-fructose syrup than sugar? Or honey? It’s time to learn science. Five sugars are known as monosaccharides: glucose (glucose), galactose (xylose), and ribose. These five sugars are the building blocks of the many disaccharides we love: sucrose (lactose), maltose (trehalose), and cellobiose. We will be focusing on glucose and fructose, two monosaccharides.
Glucose
Glucose, which is the main energy source for cellular function, is metabolized by almost every cell in the body. It is essential for your cells to function. Although it is not necessary for the body to function (it can use fuel derived from fat or protein), some glucose from carbohydrates is beneficial, especially if you are involved in high-intensity activities. Through careful insulin administration, the body works hard to maintain blood glucose within a specific range. Too much can cause all sorts of damage, too little can lead to all kinds of death. There is only one type of death, but it’s not enough.
Fructose, a sugar found mainly on fruits, undergoes metabolic processing by the liver. Fructose has a very small amount of need to be metabolized in the liver. Studies have shown that too much fructose can cause a host of problems in the body. Some studies show a link to obesity. One indicator of heart disease is an increase in blood triglycerides. Other studies have shown fructose can pull important minerals out of the blood and chelate them out. This little gem can also increase levels of uric acid, which can lead to gout symptoms.
Liver Disease
Fatigued liver disease is caused by too much fructose. This can make the liver look like an alcoholic’s. Fructose also reduces insulin, leptin and ghrelin, hormones that control appetite and satiety. Considering that fructose is a potential danger in sweeteners, our goal should be to reduce its content as much as we can. Let’s look at some common sugars that are added to products. First, high-fructose Corn Syrup is “available” in three forms: HFCS 90, HFCS 55, and HFCS 42. HFCS-55 is the most common type used in soft drinks. It contains 55% fructose, 45% glucose, and is commonly used in baked goods. HFCS-42 is most commonly used in baked goods. It contains 42% fructose, 58% glucose, and 58% fructose. HFCS-90 is almost exclusively used to make the other two types.
According to nutritionists, HFCS-90 is the bane and the chief culprit in everything, from the obesity epidemic to Hitler’s invasion of Poland. Sucrose is a mixture of 50% fructose (50%) and 50% glucose (50%) The weak bond between the monosaccharides is broken in an acidic environment. The stomach is highly acidic, so sucrose has no chance. Each sucrose molecule consumed will deliver a molecule glucose straight to your bloodstream and a molecule fructose straight into the liver. This is not much better than the 55% fructose in HFCS, and it is worse than the HFCS 42 used in baked goods. It doesn’t make a great sound bite, so you won’t hear it.
Natural Sweeteners
People talk about choosing natural sweeteners like honey or agave nectar to avoid products with HFCS and sugar. These all-natural sugars are healthier, right? Certainly not in terms fructose. Honey usually has the same ratio of fructose as HFCS. Depending on the brand, Agave nectar can contain between 56-92% fructose. Other options include evaporated cane juice. These vary in the amount of sucrose (and thus fructose) but the best number was 85-95% sucrose. This means 42.5-47.5% fructose. They are less processed than other sweeteners. That’s the only thing I will give them. I hear the audience murmur, “So if fructose can be bad and is mainly found in fruits, does this mean that we should avoid fruits?” Let’s compare the amount of fructose found in common fruits to that found in honey, sucrose, and HFCS 55.
They contain a higher percentage of fructose than honey, sugar, or HFCS-55. Does this mean they are bad? But that doesn’t mean they are bad. Take a look at the 100g sugar content and then add some fiber, vitamins, minerals, or other goodies. This will limit the amount of food you can eat. Let’s not get too wrapped up in fructose and assume that fruit is bad. Unambiguously, fruit is good. Although some people have to be careful about the amount of sugar, it is unlikely that you will get fatty liver from apples (the most fructose-rich fruit I found). Let’s wrap up this discussion before we reach 10,000 words. Similar thoughts were expressed in my previous post about PCC Natural Markets in Seattle banning products containing HFCS. Also, I discussed sugar subsidies.
Did you know?
High-fructose Corn Syrup is a scapegoat. It’s a scary name to use in a news report, and banning it makes some health-conscious people giddy. Let’s face it, the facts are out there. HFCS contains more fructose and therefore more sweetness than regular corn syrup. It is not comparable to other sweeteners. As you can see, all sweeteners in the store contain the same amount of fructose. Don’t think that soft drinks or cookies made with raw sugar, agave nectar, or other natural sweeteners are healthy. Organic junk is still junk. It doesn’t matter if the cookie is made with USDA-certified organic evaporatedcane juice, plowed under Fair Trade banners.
Your body doesn’t care either. Sugar is sugar once it reaches the stomach acid and bloodstream. It doesn’t make sugar good for you just because it’s sold at Whole Foods. What is the best sugar? None. You can use honey or evaporated cane juice if you have to add something to your food. Avoid sweeteners and stick to natural sweetness from blueberries, papaya, and apples. We can argue until our eyes are blue about which fruits are best because they have lower fructose and all that. But if we can get someone to stop eating cakes, sodas and cookies, I’m sure they can eat apples all day and be fine.