JOIN USConsumption of sugar in its different forms is a definite health hazard that we normally associate with diabetes. However, even popular forms of sugar such as fructose, cause health issues in adults and children, leading to obesity, high cholesterol and liver toxicity.
Fructose, a popular choice of sugar, is preferred over common sugar (glucose and sucrose), owing to its low glycemic index (GI). It is a myth that due to its low GI — an index that indicates the food’s effect on a person’s blood glucose — fructose may be safely consumed even in larger quantities. On the contrary, fructose leads to insulin resistance, a condition wherein insulin cannot breakdown blood sugar.
Fructose is a simple sugar, a monosaccharide that is present primarily in added dietary sugars, honey and fruits. Occurring in fruits, nature has its own mechanism of checking levels of fructose consumption by providing large fibre contents along with the sugar. The fibres present in fruits restrict consumption of large quantities of the fruit and in turn keep a check on the fructose levels. Isolated or synthetic fructose is, however, very toxic to the system and may cause several undesirable medical conditions. Increase in the total fructose consumption over the past one or two decades has been linked to the rise in obesity and metabolic disorders.
Keeping tabs
Adverse effects of fructose consumption include obesity, accelerated ageing, insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus and related complications (nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperuricemia, chronic diarrhoea and irritable bowel syndrome. This has been evaluated through a number of studies.
Indian foods comprise large amounts of carbohydrate. There is, thus, a natural tendency for increase in blood sugar levels due to the breakdown of starch. Insulin produced by the body has the potential to breakdown the glucose and hence, maintain optimum blood sugar levels.
But consumption of fructose leads to insulin resistance, which in turn increases blood sugar levels and makes one diabetic. Fructose has also been reported to increase cholesterol levels leading to cardiovascular disorders and increased visceral deposit, which leads to obesity. When more than two of these conditions exist in an individual, they are termed to have metabolic syndrome, the most dreaded chronic disorder of the decade.
Statistics reveal a direct correlation between fructose consumption and any one of the aforementioned conditions. Due to insulin resistance, there is an increased load on the liver, which leads to its rapid deterioration. This, in turn, leads to other functional disorders as the liver is unable to efficiently detoxify the system.
So, while it is safe and essential to consume fruits and vegetables that may have fructose in acceptable levels along with their rich fibre content, the consumption of processed and semi-processed foods and beverages is unhealthy.
(The author is founder, Sami Direct)