Note from Connie: I continue to be amazed by the almost never-ending swarm of health studies, which reveal sugar’s many harms. Now comes yet another new study, this one published in the American Journal of Renal Physiology, which concludes that ingesting lots of fructose can speed up the progression of chronic kidney disease in rats. (Most Americans are consuming ample amounts of high fructose corn syrup when eating processed fods.) Here’s Jennifer Moore’s report for us.
Researchers from the University of Florida, led by Michael Gersch, M.D., discovered that after six weeks, rats on a high-fructose diet (60%) had significantly larger kidneys and more kidney malfunction than did two other groups of rats — one fed 60% dextose and another fed a standard rat diet (whatever that might be).
Interestingly, dextrose didn’t seem to cause the same problems, but I wouldn’t take that as an endorsement to indulge in all the dextrose you want, though.
Although the study was small — the scientists examined three groups of 14 male rats. They discovered the kidney damage after six weeks, when they removed part of the rats’ kidneys.
Thanks to MD Linx, a website that disseminates medical information to doctors and other health care professionals, for the tip on this interesting study.
Jennifer Moore for SUGAR SHOCK! Blog