I use to think that fruit sugar is better than table sugar. In fact, it is recommended in place of sucrose which is table sugar for diabetics since it has lower glycemic index. However, now they are finding that eating too much fructose can induce leptin resistance, a condition that can easily lead to becoming overweight.

Leptin is a hormone that plays a role in helping the body to balance food intake with energy expenditure. Previous studies have shown that being leptin resistant can lead to rapid weight gain on a high-fat, high-calorie diet. But a new study is the first to show that leptin resistance can develop as a result of high fructose consumption. The study also showed for the first time that leptin resistance can develop silently, with little indication that it is happening.

Fructose is the sugar found in fruit, but it’s not the normal consumption of fruit that is the problem. Table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are about 50 percent fructose, and these ingredients have become increasingly common in many foods and beverages. With sugar and high-fructose corn syrup being added to many foods, people now eat much more fructose than ever before.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 3rd, 2008 at 3:15 am and is filed under Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Comments and pings are closed.

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