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Is the Fructose in Your Food Making You Eat Too Much?

   By SheSpeaksTeam  Jan 03, 2013
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Just a quick glance at the ingredient lists from items found in your local grocery store and it becomes very apparent that high fructose corn syrup is a popular component of many foods and beverages. The ultra sugary ingredient can often be found in processed foods and beverages that are relatively new to the market and have been popularized over the last 40 years.

Whether or not fructose is any better or worse for you than sugar has been up for debate in recent years, but a new study reports that the sweetener may have some negative effects on our eating habits. Fox News reports about the Yale University study that reveals fructose may trigger a part of our brain that leads to overeating.

Researchers involved in the study had normal weight participants scanned using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) before and after drinking beverages containing fructose and glucose. After participants drank the glucose (or sugar water) scientists noticed that the area of the brain that desires more food was turned off.

But after drinking the fructose sweetened drink scientists saw no change in this area of the brain and a Yale University endocrinologist Dr. Robert Sherwin explains, “As a result, the desire to eat continues - it isn't turned off.” Participants who drank the fructose also reported being more hungry than those who drank the glucose beverage.

Dr. Jonathan Purnell, an endocrinologist at Oregon Health & Science University, explains what the findings could mean for our health and the foods we choose to eat. Dr. Purnell says, “It implies that fructose, at least with regards to promoting food intake and weight gain, is a bad actor compared to glucose.” And he also adds that cooking more at home and limiting processed foods can easily cut down on the amount of fructose we consume.

What do you think of the new study that finds consuming fructose can lean to overeating?

Do you try to limit the amount of high fructose corn syrup containing products you purchase?
 

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mizleeza by mizleeza | LAKELAND, FL
Jan 30, 2013

Babsywabs is correct in telling you the difference of fructose and High Fructose Corn Syrup, their is a chemical difference. Unfortunately most folks are either not interested in being well informed or it just does not matter anyway.

babsywabs by babsywabs | Notre Dame, IN
Jan 23, 2013

The title of this post is a bit misleading. "Fructose" is a natural sugar found in fruit and honey. Fructose is not bad for us. The ingredient your poster is referring to is "High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)" - an entirely different compound chemically. As it's name implies, it is made by processing corn and converting some of its natural sugars from glucose to fructose. There is much conversation and controversy over whether or not HFCSs in our food have caused a myriad of health problems, including exacerbating the diabetes and obesity epidemics in our country. Fructose in and of itself is a naturally occurring sugar, and is not unhealthy. Please correct your post to make sure it is clear that it is the HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, not the FRUCTOSE itselt, that is a health issue.

msfriendly by msfriendly | MONROE, WI
Jan 03, 2013

I have tried to avoid high frucose corn syrup in products for about 5 years now. I have digestion problems and my doctor told me to avoid HFCS at all costs. My tummy is much happier now!

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