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Date published: 12/15/2009
This is in response to Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, who wrote that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than regular sugar ["High-fructose corn syrup no worse than sugar and juices," Dec. 9]. Science has proven the awful effects of HFCS and why it's such a problem more so now than ever. First, I want to ask a simple question: Why has diabetes risen 400 percent in 20 years? Diabetes is directly related to diet, which in turn is directly related to our health. It's not heredity, not coincidence, but our food supply. A bit of science: Studies on the Maillard reaction indicate that fructose contributes to diabetic complications more readily than glucose. The Maillard reaction, named after the French physician and chemist Louis-Camille Maillard, is a browning reaction that occurs when compounds are exposed to various sugars. Fructose browns food seven times faster than glucose, resulting in a decrease in protein quality and a toxicity of protein in the body. This is due to the loss of amino-acid residues and decreased protein digestibility. Maillard products can inhibit the uptake and metabolism of free amino acids and other nutrients such as zinc, and some advanced Maillard products have mutagenic and-or carcinogenic properties. The Maillard reactions between proteins and fructose, glucose, and other sugars may play a role in aging and in some clinical complications of diabetes. Because it's metabolized by the liver, fructose does not cause the pancreas to release insulin the way it normally does. Fructose converts to fat more than any other sugar. This may be one of the reasons why residents of the United States continue to get fatter and more obese. Fructose raises serum triglycerides significantly. As a left-handed sugar, fructose digestion is very low. For complete internal conversion of fructose into glucose and acetates, it must rob ATP energy stores from the liver. This is science, not hype, and it's not written in the interest of looking out for someone else's bottom line. Greg Hoskins Spotsylvania
As a registered dietitian I must note neither Type I nor II diabetes is caused by sugar or fructose, and the role of the Mallaird reaction in diabetes has never been proven. It is pure conjecture to claim otherwise and totally irresponsible given the seriousness of this condition. I also consult for the CRA and know high fructose corn syrup is no different than sugar. They have the same composition, are metabolized the same and provide the equal calories. All sweeteners should be used in moderation.
My understanding is that Type 1 is not reversible, and is the one that 5-10% of the population has. It is thought to be an auto-immune disorder, although genetic factors may be involved. Type 2 Diabetes occurs when the body no longer responds to insulin. Obesity and age appear to play a role in Type 2 Diabetes. I know people who were diagnosed Type 2 and became asyptomatic after losing significant amounts of weight. Sadly, for Type 1, there is no cure .
Diabetics should control the amount of sugar, in any form that is consumed, but it is NOT what causes diabetes. Diabetes is caused by the body's inability to process sugar because the pancreas no longer produces enough insulin. Weight is a factor since the larger the body and the more a person consumes, more insulin in needed which the body does not produce. Life as a diabetic must include eating proper foods, occassionly sweets, & exercising, increasing metabolism may increase insulin production.
and fructose causes a left-handed rotation of the plane. The terms are "dextrorotatory" and
"levorotatory," or "right-handed" and "left-handed." I'm disappointed that the FLS didn't
Google this letter before they printed it. They would have found that it is not accurate and
is at least in part taken word-for-word from sources on the Web.
The idea that fructose is a "left-handed" sugar is a misunderstanding of its chemical structure and properties. The
glucose and fructose that we eat and metabolize are both D-sugars, or right-handed sugars. There are left-handed, or
L-forms, of each sugar known, but they are not found in nature. The confusion comes from a physical property of the
sugars known as optical rotation. Glucose and fructose have opposite effects on plane-polarized light. Glucose causes
a right-handed rotation of the plane,
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