« Cholesterol Coronary Artery Disease Is a Myth | Home | Coronary Artery Disease…Free Radical Damage & Inflammation »
Fructose Propels Diabetes, Obesity & Coronary Artery Disease
By admin | June 29, 2010
Richard Johnson, M.D., is a researcher who is on the cutting edge of information about coronary artery disease, obesity, diabetes II and hypertension. Hypertension and inflammation drive coronary artery disease. He reveals some startling insights of why obesity and the diabetes epidemic is sweeping the U.S. and modern countries.
Dr. Johnson has carefully charted the historical development of almost no hypertension, no diabetes and no obesity up to the modern epidemic that is occurring. Subsequent to the hypertension is the enormous increase in coronary artery disease in the form of atherosclerosis.
Regarding hypertension, in 1900 only 5% was found as a measure of 110/90 mm Hg. Today in 2010, 31% of adults suffer from hypertension. Many are placed on several different drugs…often to no avail.
Regarding diabetes II, in 1892 there were reported 2 cases per 100,000 persons. Today one person in four to five will develop diabetes II. Shockingly, even children are developing diabetes at the rate of one in three persons.
Obesity is alarmingly apparent all around us. Those who have lived more than a few decades are shocked at the presence of obesity around them. Some seniors citizens suddenly find themselves among the obese. Fat beds accumulate and store toxins that increase other degenerative diseases such as cancer and arthritis.
Is there a single factor that can account for the enormous increase in hypertension, diabetes and obesity? One isolated factor cannot be blamed for the health deterioration we are witnessing. However, there is compelling evidence that high fructose (fruit sugar) consumption is often associated with these maladies.
Interestingly, until recently, the fruit sugar, fructose, was thought to be a healthy sugar. Nothing could be farther from the truth when high amounts of fructose are consumed. A little can be good but a lot is bad.
It is true the natural fruit has lesser concentrations of fructose but it also has the benefit of other metabolites that help the body process it. There are anti-oxidants in the form of flavonoids, poly-phenols and vitamins. There are phytonutrients that probably act as catalysts and co-enzymes. There is fiber to help the whole process of metabolism.
The body just does not handle well high concentrations of most substances. The problem is excessive amounts of fructose are consumed, plus there is stripping away of other nutrients found in whole fruit. The role of all the unknowns in natural fruit is not fully known.
Man has discovered how to concentrate sweeteners by producing large amounts of sucrose (table sugar) and by the addition of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) into thousands of our foods. Sweetness always sells better. The trouble is, sugar is quite inflammatory in coronary arteries and it produces atherosclerosis.
One half of the table sugar (sucrose) molecule is fructose. The other half is glucose. The body can immediately convert glucose into energy. It just cannot story much glucose. The excess is converted into triglycerides. These are fatty acids that become stored into fat beds and thus propel obesity.
Why is concentrated fructose, like that found in HFCS, so harmful? The simple answer is it:
- Damages fructose metabolism
- Fuels diabetes II
- Increases blood pressure
- Produces atherosclerosis, heart disease and stroke
- Is associated with increasing obesity
- Increases inflammatory uric acid
- Increases gout
Dr. Joseph Mercola, N.D. has one of the most creditable, cutting edge, health blogs on the internet. He says this about fructose, it:
- Increases insulin resistance
- Increases hypertension
- Elevates triglycerides
- Increases cardiovascular disease…heart attack & stroke
- Increases fatty liver disease
- Is associated with increased cancer
- Increases arthritis
- Is highly correlated to obesity and weight gain
To put the fructose consumption in perspective, 100 years ago 15 grams per person per day was consumed. Today the estimate is 73 grams per person per day.
The widespread use of HFCS became prevalent during 1970′s. HFCS is 20% sweeter and is cheaper than table sugar. This means the food industry will favor its use because of bottom line profits. Fifty five percent of all sugar sweetener used in the food industry is HFCS.
Fructose not only propels obesity but it is now closely associated with the number one killer in the U.S.A. This is cardiovascular disease. It is associated with high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.
Topics: Alternative, Health, Heart Disease, alternative health, cardiovascular disease, diabetes II, hypertension | 1 Comment »
June 29th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
[...] Read this article: Fructose Drives Obesity, Diabetes II & Coronary Artery Disease … [...]