Fructose Poses Gout Risks Even in Women

Soft drinks implicated as a potent source

November 10, 2010 RSS Feed Print
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"All of the soft drinks," the team reports, "with the exception of the Mexican Coca-Cola, are 58 percent fructose or above, and the three most popular soft drinks [Coke, Pepsi and Sprite] contained 64 to 65 percent fructose."

And that's disturbing, Goran says, because unlike glucose, fructose is primarily broken down in the liver, where it can become a feedstock for new fat synthesis. Indeed, the nutritional physiologist notes, fructose is suspected of contributing to a serious and widespread condition known as fatty-liver disease.

The bottom line, Underwood says, is that reducing fructose in the diet—especially its exaggerated use in soft drinks—could do a lot to limit a sweetened beverage's health risks.

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Tags:
heart health,
gout,
food and drink,
bone joint health,
women's health,
sugar,
heart disease

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Mexican coke, Canadian coke, UK coke, Austrailian coke European coke, Asian coke all use sugar. Only USA coke made after the 1970s uses high fructose corn syrup. We all noticed the difference when it was forced upon us and we all hated it. Corn syrup tastes like corn and is definetely not the same as sugar. Up until now that it has been the only option (except for Mexican coke that is now imported to our some supermarkets in the Ethnic foods area) too bad but sugar sweetened soda pop has only been put back into circulation a few times in recent years under the name "throwback" for some pepsi products. In the south the use of corn syrup in sweet tea indicates cheap tea and is only purchased if the good sweet tea is all sold out and there is no time to make your own before a party. Corn syrup is not a suitable substitute for sugar and should have been left as topping for cornbread and cornpone. No one actually prefers the taste of high fructise corn syrup over sugar in any taste test ever given and there are not many because the makers of corn sweeteners don't like that people are noticing the bad taste is coming from them. Gout is just another reason to remove this bad taste from our mouths. High fructose corn syrup = Fail

Bleech of MI 3:43PM November 14, 2011

Anyone else find it a little weird how all the comments are from corn refiners-affiliated folks? If anything that actually makes me wonder why they are so concerned about this one article...a little too reminiscent of the tobacco lobby's "there's no proven link between smoking and lung cancer" line, methinks.

Me, I'll be staying away from high-fructose corn syrup -- better safe than sorry. I love corn, but I'll be eating it in vegetable form :)

J. Lin of WA 12:20AM December 08, 2010

To Janet, on behalf of the Corn Refiners Association, I want to submit some interesting information below. Thanks.

Independent Review Debunks USC Fructose Content Study

Independent review of the fructose content of HFCS-55 confirmed that production of this natural sugar made from corn adheres to tightly calibrated industry standards for its sugar content, both fructose and glucose. Allegations made in a recent study by University of Southern California researchers claiming that the fructose content exceeds normal averages were disproven in this review.

All HFCS-producing facilities in the United States and Canada maintain rigorous production records analyzing the sugars content and other specifications of high fructose corn syrup. “The claims made in the USC paper were unfounded, and were off the mark in suggesting that high fructose corn syrup, or corn sugar, contains ‘excess’ fructose," said said Audrae Erickson, President of the Corn Refiners Association. " Clearly, these researchers did not properly analyze the samples or use standardized analytical methods for determining sugars content. Consumers can rest assured that high fructose corn syrup, or corn sugar, is produced according to long established standards.”

Cameron of DC 5:54PM November 16, 2010

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