Fructose Fix

November 12, 2008

You’ve probably heard the warnings about obesity linked to consuming too much fructose in your diet. Now a study shows fructose may actually hard-wire the body for future weight gain.

University of Florida researchers have found that fructose seems to block the hormone leptin from reaching or communicating with the brain. Leptin’s the hormone in the body that helps regulate weight. So researcher Alexandra Shapiro says the brain acts the way it does if the body is starving, it boosts appetite.

Shapiro: “I think the most important message is to limit fructose in our diet as much as possible. The source of the fructose doesn’t really matter. It could be sugar, it could be high fructose corn syrup. Either sweetener is a problem. Over-consumption of either sweetener is a problem.”

You’ll find fructose in many foods, from high fructose corn syrup in soft drinks, to natural fructose in vegetables like carrots. So researchers are working to reverse the fructose-related impact on leptin.

Shapiro: “We are hoping to reduce leptin-resistance and this is a focus of our current studies. We would like to be able to reverse leptin-resistance by removing fructose or reducing its content in the diet.”http://news.ufl.edu/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=17194

So experts say consumers should pay much closer to attention to what and how much fructose they consume.

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