Increasing evidence shows that excess fructose may play role in diabetes, obesity and other health conditions
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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – AURORA, Colo. (November 29, 2010) — More and more people have become aware of the dangers of excessive fructose in diet. A new review on fructose in today’s issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) indicates just how dangerous this simple sugar may be.
Richard J. Johnson, MD, FACP, and Takahiko Nakagawa, MD, PhD, at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, provide a concise overview of recent clinical and experimental studies to understand how excessive amounts of fructose, present in added sugars, may play a role in high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Dietary fructose is present primarily in added dietary sugars, honey, and fruit. Americans most frequently ingest fructose from sucrose, a disaccharide containing 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose bonded together, and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a mixture of free fructose and free glucose, usually in a 55/45 proportion. With the introduction of HFCS in the 1970s, an increased intake of fructose has occurred and obesity rates have risen simultaneously.
The link between excessive intake of fructose and metabolic syndrome is becoming increasingly established. However, in this review of the literature, the authors conclude that there is also increasing evidence that fructose may play a role in hypertension and renal disease.
“Science shows us there is a potentially negative impact of excessive amounts of sugar and high fructose corn syrup on cardiovascular and kidney health,” said Johnson. “Excessive fructose intake could be viewed as an increasingly risky food and beverage additive.”
Concerned that physicians may be overlooking this health problem when advising CKD patients to follow a low protein diet, Johnson and Nakagawa recommend that low protein diets include an attempt to restrict added sugars containing fructose.
Johnson and Nakagawa are listed as inventors on several patent applications related to lowering uric acid for the treatment or prevention of hypertension, diabetes, and fatty liver. Johnson has also published a book, The Sugar Fix that covers this topic for the general public.
The article, titled “The Effect of Fructose on Renal Biology and Disease,” will appear online at http://jasn.asnjournals.org on November 29, 2010.
Faculty at the University of Colorado’s School of Medicine work to advance science and improve care. These faculty members include physicians, educators and scientists at University of Colorado Hospital, The Children’s Hospital, Denver Health, National Jewish Health, and the Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Degrees offered by the University of Colorado School of Medicine include doctor of medicine, doctor of physical therapy, and masters of physician assistant studies. The School is located on the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus, one of four campuses in the University of Colorado system. For additional news and information, please visit the UC Denver newsroom online.
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