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High Intake of Fructose Might Cause Hypertension! Fructose, also known as levulose, can be found in many foods. It is a white solid that dissolves readily in water. Every year, about 250 million kilos of crystalline fructose are produced globally. Health experts have long linked fructose-rich diets to many health problems. It is believed that human liver converts a large percentage of fructose into fat, which raises the risk of metabolic syndrome. There are many studies showing that people with metabolic syndrome are at a higher risk of getting diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease and stroke. On September 23, 2009 during an American Heart Association meeting in Chicago, researchers for 2 studies further provided evidences on such issues. The first study found that fructose (a kind of sugar) helps raise blood pressure for men while the second study suggested that people who consume junk foods and sugary drinks at night could gain weight at a faster pace than those who do not. Findings of the first study suggested that excessive intake of fructose might be the key in the worldwide epidemic of obesity and diabetes. Incidentally, about half of the sugar molecules in table sugar, high-sugar corn syrup and sweetener used in many packaged foods were made up of fructose. Researchers from the University of Colorado-Denver and Mateo Orfila Hospital in Spain studied 74 men who were given 200 grams of fructose per day in additional to their regular diet. Such amount greatly exceeds the daily intake of 50 grams to 70 grams of fructose consumed by most American adults. Allopurinol, a drug used to treat gout, was also given to half of the men.
Men receiving only the fructose were found to have an increment of 6 millimeters in their systolic blood pressure (the top reading) and about 3 millimeters in the diastolic blood pressure (the bottom reading) after a period of 2 weeks. After 2 months, most of their blood pressure readings returned to normal levels. These men were also found to be twice as likely to develop metabolic syndrome, which is measured by things like too much abdominal fat, high blood pressure and poor cholesterol readings (high bad cholesterol). On the other hand, the other half of men who were also given allopurinol had significantly lower uric acid levels. They had no increment in their systolic blood pressure or higher risk of metabolic syndrome. In the second study, researchers from State University in Dayton, Ohio studied mice that were given fructose water for consumption. Some of these mice had unlimited access while others with restricted access: either during the day or at night. The researchers observed that mice had similar behavior as teenagers who drink too much soft drink. In fact, those mice that drank fructose water during their regular daylight sleeping hours had gain more weight and had higher stress hormone levels than other mice. Such scenario might be similar to the human condition of consuming too much fructose-laden foods and beverages during nighttime. According to the American Heart Association, women should consume less than 100 calories or 6 teaspoons (25 grams), while most men should not consume more than 355 calories or 22 teaspoons (90 grams) of added processed sugar each day. Obviously, these are bad news for most beverage manufacturers and restaurants. As a matter of fact, many health experts have already proposed for a tax on sugary soft drinks.
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