Is Current Day Use of Fructose Dangerous?

Is Current Day Use of Fructose Dangerous?

Ross Finesmith MD

Fructose is a highly pleasurable fruit sugar found in many plant products. Evolutionarily this was very important because humans and animals tend to eat things that are satisfying and stimulate a positive taste sensation. It was important for early humans to have the “high pleasure” fructose response when they ate fruit. The positive experience insured humans would eat as much fruit as they could and this was important since fruit contains many critical vitamins and nutrients for proper organ function.

The problem with fructose began when commercial formation of fructose was added to other foods, Fructose is derived from sugar cane, sugar beets, and maize, then dried, ground to make a  high purity fructose compound. High-fructose corn syrup  is a mixture of glucose and highly concentrated fructose. The problem is that humans still have that high pleasure response initially important to keep us eating healthy fruit items that were good for us. We now have that same drive when we drink a high-caloric “fruit” juice of candy bar. The same neural circuit that “paired” the fructose high pleasure that contributed of human survival is now shortening our life as we develop diabetes and heart disease.

 All forms of fructose, including fruits and juices, are now added to foods and drinks for greater palatability and taste enhancement, and for browning of some foods, such as baked goods.