High Fructose Corn Syrup May Lead To Liver Failure

One of principal arguments food corporations have used to defend high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is that it is chemically similar to table sugar.

Manufacturers have stated repeatedly that HFCS contains at most 55 percent fructose, little different from white sugar's 50 percent fructose makeup.

But as it turns out, the specific amount of fructose in HFCS for any particular food product has never been officially tested. And when researchers tested brand-name sodas, they found that the fructose content is actually 65 percent.

According to Grist:

"Why is this important?
It's because research has shown fructose to be particularly harmful to human health. Unlike excess glucose, which passes through our digestive tract and is excreted, 100 percent of fructose that's consumed is taken up by the liver. Once there, fructose causes increased fat deposition in the abdominal cavity and increased blood levels of triglycerides -- both of which are risk factors for heart disease and diabetes."

Sources:

  Grist October 26, 2010

 

Why Higher Fructose Content is More Harmful to Your Health

It's been clearly established that fructose is far more dangerous than other forms of sugar, mainly due to the fact that your body metabolizes fructose differently.
When metabolizing fructose, the entire burden falls on your liver.
This is why fructose is a hepatotoxin -- it can severely tax and overload your liver. This metabolic pathway leads to the creation of a number of waste products and toxins, including a large amount of uric acid, which drives up blood pressure and causes gout.
Most experts now believe fructose to be the primary reason for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease which can lead to liver failure.
Elevated uric acid levels are also associated with heart- and kidney disease.
Interestingly, the connection between fructose, uric acid, hypertension, insulin resistance and kidney disease is now so clear that your uric acid level can actually be used as a marker for fructose toxicity.
According to the latest research in this area, the safest range of uric acid is between 3 and 5.5 milligrams per deciliter, and there appears to be a steady relationship between uric acid levels and blood pressure and cardiovascular risk, even down to the range of 3 to 4 mg/dl.
If your uric acid level is higher than that, it's a clear indication that you are particularly sensitive to the detrimental health impacts of fructose.