Soften’ everyones attitude on ‘fructose’

If you watch TV, you are probably aware of the campaign to ‘soften’ everyones attitude on ‘fructose’ - here is a quick article from Alan E Shugarman (great name for this article) MD, RD:

Excess fructose is likely to increase harmful cholesterol levels, because the production of VLDL (very low-density lipoproteins) is elevated from the consumption of excess fructose. VLDL is eventually converted to LDL (low-density lipoproteins), and the higher your LDL level, the greater your risk for arteriosclerosis and heart disease.

Glucose is the preferred fuel for the body. Your muscles cannot use fructose directly because it must be converted to glucose in the liver and shipped out to the bloodstream to reach the muscles and other tissues. Fructose is only about half as good at replenishing muscles glycogen stores as are glucose and glucose derivatives. Also, many people can't tolerate fructose, even at dosages as low as 50 grams per day - as many as 60% of normal adults have problems with high levels of fructose.

Fructose does have some advantages within the human body. When you consume fructose, it does not elevate blood insulin levels as much, and keeping insulin levels low helps avoid the depositing of fat. Although fructose is not directly usable by muscle tissue for replenishing glycogen stores, it is better than glucose at replenishing liver glycogen. It's not a good choice for athletes because it is quickly swept out of the bloodstream by the liver. Since fructose is readily converted to liver glycogenthough, it can be useful as a long-term energy storage provider for non-athletes.

If body fat is your concern, then avoiding fructose as much as you can is probably a good idea.