Putting the election (and the loss of the affections of many friends and even some family ) behind me, I’m turning my focus to health issues. And one of the things I’m going to focus on is the danger of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). I’ve believed for a long time that HFCS is the rocket fuel of Diabetes. And it seems that my totally non-scientific evaluation was correct:
Eating a diet of High-Fructose sugars seems to reduce the effectiveness of insulin:
From the print magazine, Life Extension (Dec. 2008) – Metabolic Danger of High-Fructose Corn Syrup:
. . . . Fructose, on the other hand, is more rapidly metabolized in the liver, flooding metabolic pathways and leading to increased triglyceride synthesis and fat storage in the liver. this can cause a rise in serum triglycerides, promoting an athegrogenic lipid profile and elevating cardiovascular risk. Increased fat storage in the liver may lead to an increased incidence in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and this is one of several links between HFCS consumption and obesity as well as the metabolic syndrome. (7)
. . . .
In Fact, the Effect of HFCS on insulin resistance has been shown to have an impact on the prevalence of diabetes. In 2004, investigators conducted an ecological correlation study, in which they compared the relationship between food consumption of refined carbohydrates and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the US from 1909 to 1997. They found that during this period, the use of corn syrup sweetners, which were almost non-existent at the turn of the century, increased by more than 2,100%. During the same period, the prevalence of diabetes skyrocketed. After controlling for total energy intake from other foods such as fats and proteins, only the increase in corn syrup and a decrease in fiber intake correlated positively with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes. (22)
Scientists have therefore come to realize that all sugars are not created equal, which has been borne out in a number of studies. In one study, investigators looked at whether reduction in insulin sensitivity was caused by glucose or fructose components of the diet. They took two groups of young healthy men and fed one group a high-glucose diet, while the other received a diet high in fructose. At the end of one week, high-fructose feeding was accompanied by a significant reduction in insulin sensitivity and insulin binding, whereas no significant changes were seen in the high-glucose group. (23)
I’m a diabetic and I’ve long noticed that my blood-sugar shoots up dramatically when I’ve eaten something with HFCS. Part of the reason I’m making this conversation an on-going series is to remind myself that this isn’t a joke. That I’m flirting with serious trouble if I continue to think that “just this one treat” won’t hurt me.