Avoid these high-fructose foods to prevent health problems
Eating foods that contain fructose can cause insulin resistance, heartburn, etc. Here are the foods you should avoid and what you can do about them.
It’s well known that eating healthy fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to stay healthy and prevent disease. But if you’ve been paying attention to health news, you’ve probably noticed that some fruits are labeled as unhealthy because of their natural sugar content, called fructose. Also known as simple sugar, fructose is a natural sugar found in vegetables, fruits, and honey. Fructose is found in many fruits and many other plant foods. It is the sweetest natural carbohydrate, sweeter than sucrose. If you are wondering which fructose-free foods you should eat, this may help!
What is fructose?
There are three types of sugars found in fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and grains: sucrose, glucose, and fructose. Although all three types of sugar have the same number of calories, fructose is considered the sweetest. Fructose, or “fruit sugar,” is a sugar found in fruits, honey, agave, and most root vegetables. It is also added to foods such as high-fructose corn syrup.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), fructose comes from sugar cane, sugar beets, and corn. According to research published in the Annual Food Review, fructose is absorbed directly into the bloodstream from the small intestine. It is believed to cause your blood sugar to rise slowly, which can have negative effects in the long term.
Why is high levels of fructose harmful to the body?
Did you know that the only organ that metabolizes fructose is the liver? High fructose and high-calorie foods overload the liver, converting fructose into fat, increasing the risk of many diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.
1. Increased triglyceride levels
According to research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the amount of fructose in high-calorie foods can increase triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are a major component of fats and oils, and high triglyceride levels increase the risk of type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.
2. Increase cholesterol levels
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming too much fructose can increase low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol levels, which can cause excess fat to build up in the body and increase the risk of heart disease.
3. Too much uric acid levels
Uric acid is a waste product in the body that builds up in joints and tissues. While some uric acid in the blood is normal, high uric acid levels can increase the risk of gout, a type of arthritis. According to research published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, people who eat foods high in fructose experience high uric acid levels within minutes of eating.
3. May trigger liver problems
A high-fructose diet is associated with an increased risk of liver disease. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition that affects the liver with little or no alcohol consumption. This is when you have too much fat in your heart. Consuming too much fructose increases your risk of NAFLD, according to the National Institutes of Health.
4. Causes insulin resistance
Insulin is a drug that converts food into energy and helps control blood sugar. Insulin resistance is a condition in which your body cannot use insulin properly, which can lead to complications such as diabetes. A study published in the Journal of Scientific Research shows that consuming fruits high in fructose can lead to insulin resistance, which can lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes
5. May cause leptin resistance
Leptin is a chemical produced by fat cells in the body that helps control appetite and energy. It is also called the “fullness hormone” or “hunger hormone.” High consumption of fructose increases the chances of leptin resistance which affects how fat cells send signals to your brain.
6. Weight gain
If you want to lose weight, you should not eat foods that contain fructose. It is believed that it increases your weight. A study published in the Journal Nutrients found that foods containing fructose increase the risk of obesity and other diseases such as metabolic syndrome. Consuming too much fructose increases fat development.
7. Raises colon cancer risk
Colon cancer, or cancer that begins in the colon or large intestine. A 2021 study published in Nature showed that consuming too much fructose stimulated intestinal growth in mice. Another study published in the journal Science in 2020 found that fruits containing fructose syrup increased intestinal growth in mice.
High fructose foods to avoid
High fructose corn syrup and natural fructose are two types of fructose. Both are processed by the body in the same way.
Foods that contain fructose naturally include:
prunes
sorghum
apple
apple juice
agave syrup
licorice
dry figs
pears
peas
asparagus
watermelon
onions
chicory roots
leeks
artichokes
Processed foods high in fructose
caramel
palm sugar
high fructose corn syrup
honey
molasses
sweetened drinks
baked goods
candy
You should limit the consumption of certain foods high in fructose to avoid complications.
Don’t be afraid to eat fruits and vegetables!
Fruit is not a problem, but fructose is! It’s important to distinguish between the two. The fructose you get from fruit isn’t bad for you because it’s nearly impossible to reach high fructose levels by eating whole fruits. You’d have to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables to reach dangerous levels, which is often not possible. Fruits are low in fructose, high in fiber, and low in calories.
However, the fructose in added sugars in soft drinks and other unhealthy foods can be harmful to your health. That is, there should be no fructose in these foods, but you can consume the fruits because they are not harmful.