SINFULLY SWEET

Nutritious food is generally associated with bland taste, but natural healthy food has a saviour when it comes to taste buds in the form of fruit sugar or fructose. This sugar found in fruit is a health boon, but as it finds place in artificially sweetened beverages, its high content could be a health risk. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, recently put 23 overweight adults, between 43 to 70 years of age, on a strictly-controlled high-carb, moderate-fat diet for two weeks, following which their heart disease risk factors, such as blood fats, cholesterol, and weight, were measured.nbsp;Then, for eight weeks, the volunteers were allowed to eat whatever they wanted, as long as they drank three sweetened beverages every day. Half the subjects drank pure fructose-sweetened beverages, the other half took pure glucose-sweetened drinks. In just two weeks, those on fructose-sweetened beverages showed signs of increasing risk of heart disease such as increased LDL low-density lipoprotein or 8220;bad8221; cholesterol and blood fats. Their insulin sensitivity decreased, putting them at risk of diabetes. Besides, they also gained weight. Those on glucose drinks showed none of these signs.nbsp;

Dieticians say, notwithstanding the new study, there8217;s no need to worry about fructose as you bite into your fruit. 8220;It8217;s only standalone fructose which can cause a problem. In fruit, it occurs with fibre. The roughage uses fructose for breaking down, which means less of the sugar is deposited in the body and, as a result, no real harm sets in,8221; says Dr Kajal Pandya, nutritionist, Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research, Delhi.
The point remains though that fructose, when consumed without fibre, could be harmful, if used in large quantities over a long period of time8212;something that8217;s difficult to ascertain. For, fructose, because of its syrupiness quotient, has become an ubiquitous commercial sweetener 8212;used in soft drinks, cakes, breads, toffees and chewing gums.nbsp;

8220;Central obesity, low levels of good cholesterol, high levels of bad cholesterol, high triglycerides, and poor appetite control have been linked to consuming high amounts of high fructose sweeteners,8221; says Dr Ritika Samaddar, chief dietician, Max Healthcare, Delhi.
Unlike glucose8212;another natural sugar 8212;that can be absorbed by every cell of the body, fructose is broken down only in the liver, where it causes fat synthesis. 8220;Once fructose is in the liver, it can provide glycerol, the backbone of triglycerides fat, and increase fat formation,8221; says Dr Samaddar.
And as Dr Arpita Hirani, dietician at PD Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai, puts it, 8220;Fructose gets converted to fat faster than any other sugar8221;. It can also make us fat in other ways too, such as by inhibiting the formation of leptin, a hormone that warns the brain about the presence of fat in the body, thus controlling appetite and regulating energy intake. But with fructose inhibiting its secretion, obesity is close.nbsp;

Is it safe to consume fructose in fresh fruit juices, which have no preservatives or other chemical substances in them? 8220;Fruits juices may not have fibre, but they do have minerals and vitamins. So, they aren8217;t a no-no. Even honey has a lot of fructose and no fibre and yet its many health benefits outweigh the negative effects of fructose,8221; says Dr Samadar.

There8217;s no medically recommended daily intake for fructose, but it8217;s always great to have four to five fruits, say doctors.