Fructose and Diabetes

A recent article in the March 2015 online edition of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings looked at data from both animal and human studies and found that added sugars (e.g., sucrose and high fructose corn syrup) contribute to the development of diabetes and related problems, including cardiovascular disease. Sucrose consists of a molecule of glucose and a molecule of fructose. The authors implicate the fructose molecule. The point out that the same associations are not found to the same extent with glucose and starchy foods per se. They point out that the World Health Organization recommends no more than 5% of one's daily energy intake come from added sugars. The US Institute of Medicine allows up to 25% of calories from added sugars. It is worth noting that the sugar lobby exerts enormous pressure on US organizations making dietary recommendations. Eating unprocessed or whole foods eliminates most added sugars. If you haven't seen the film Fed Up, I would highly recommend it. The filmmakers encouraged viewers to try one week without any added sugars. It is much more difficult than you'd think!