Tag: fructose

High Fructose Consumption Linked to High Blood Pressure

The evidence keeps pouring in pointing to the dangers of fructose, which are found in soft drinks and most processed foods, from breads to cookies to crackers.
The latest study, which finds that people who consume the amount of fructose found in two-and-a-half soft drinks a day appear to have a higher risk of hypertension, appears in the current issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology
People who took in at least 74 grams (about 18.5 tsp.) per day had 26% to 77% greater odds of crossing various thresholds of elevated blood pressure (P<0.05 for all), compared with lower levels of consumption, according to Diana Jalal, MD, of the University of Colorado Denver, and colleagues. "Limiting fructose intake is readily feasible, and, in light of our results, prospective studies are needed to assess whether decreased intake of fructose from added sugars will reduce the incidence of hypertension and the burden of cardiovascular disease in the U.S. adult population," they wrote online in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. One of the best ways to reduce your consumption of high fructose corn syrup is to just eliminate soft drinks. There is no human requirement for soda! To get a flavor for how soft drinks can pack on the pounds -- one that will make your stomach turn -- watch this "Pouring on the Pounds" ad from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction With Me – Early Bird Special Available Through April 15

Sugar addicts and carb addicts, have you heard about my upcoming Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks Program, which I’m offering starting Tuesday, April 20?
If you feel trapped or even imprisoned by sweets and other carbs like white bread, crackers, white rice, pasta and chips (what I call quickie carbs, culprit carbs or much-like-sugar carbs), this program is for you.
See the new artwork from designer Bryan Tuck (to your left).
Why is this Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks Program different from other teleseminar/webinar series?
Because I’ve:
* Spent nearly 12 years creating this program for you — I kicked sugar myself on April 15, 1998;
* Connected online and helped thousands of sugar addicts worldwide in my KickSugar group, Stop Sugar Shock network and Facebook fan page.
* Interviewed hundreds of experts
* Coached dozens of clients to release their debilitating sugar habit in the manner that works best for them (whether it’s removing sugar totally or cutting back drastically).
If you register now, you can get in for the Early Bird, Connie’s 12-Years-Off-Sugar Special. Deadline is Thursday, April 15 at 11:59 pm EST (8:59 pm PST).
In this program, you will:
* Get 50 ways to combat your sugar cravings.
* Find out which color sugar lover you are. (Yes, we’re all different in our relationship.)
* Learn about 100 names for sugars and sweeteners.
* Get the scoop about agave, honey, artificial sweeteners, yogurt, rice cakes and fructose.
* Find out how to use my “7 D’s” to easily top cravings as they hit.
* Have your questions answered.
* Receive instruction from two top experts on how to reduce stress and use self-hypnosis.
* Be able to listen afterward, at your convenience (if you miss the live calls).
* And much, much more.
Get more information now about my Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks.

Sugar & Its Dangers Hit the News, Thanks to Dr. Robert Lustig’s YouTube Video & Nightline

Sugar and its dangers are in the news again, thanks to ABC’s popular show, Nightline, which, last night, aired a compelling story spotlighting sugar’s role in the obesity crisis.
In his “Sugar Wars” piece, correspondent John Donovan offers a fascinating look at the views of esteemed pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Robert Lustig, whose YouTube video, “Sugar: The Bitter Truth,” has garnered more than a quarter of a million hits to date.
In this Nightline segment — which you can watch below — Donovan calls Dr. Lustig “a man at war with sugar,” because he argues that too much fructose and not enough fiber are to blame for our obesity crisis.
“Fructose is the cause of the current epidemic,” says Dr. Lustig, director of UCSF’s Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health (WATCH) Clinic and UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology.
Nightline correspondent Donovan also includes quotes from the the pediatric endocrinologist about leptin’s role in obesity; fructose’s role in metabolic syndrome; and the fact that low-fat foods such as SnackWells cookies and fruit-flavored yogurt are filled with sugar.
In the Nightline piece, Donovan made an effort to make his piece unbiased by allowing Dr. Lustig’s ideas to be criticized by three pro-sugar advocates — one from the American Beverage Association (formerly called the National Soft Drink Association) and two from the Corn Refiners Association, including a cardiologist, who has done studies funded by PepsiCo, the manufacturer of sugar-filled soft drinks.
Understandably, correspondent John Donovan seems to be like millions of Americans, who have a sweet tooth. In fact, the reporter readily admits that strolling with Dr. Lustig at San Francisco’s Pier 30 (a hot spot filled with sugary foods) can be “at times, well, a bit of of a downer. Because we love sugar, don’t we, most of us?”
Donovan is absolutely correct in his assessment. Most Americans — and people around the world — are so keen on sugar that they imbibe it to their detriment. Unfortunately, the Nightline reporter did not mention that obesity is only part of the sugar story.
The average American’s sugar consumption — about 170 pounds per year per person — also has been linked with heart disease, cancer, severe PMS, memory loss, depression, fatigue, headaches, infertility, low libido, polycystic ovary syndrome and many other ailments.
In addition, regretfully, the Nightline piece did not point out that Dr. Lustig is in very good company. His views are shared by many of us concerned health advocates. For instance, esteemed pediatric endocrinologist Dr. David Ludwig — who was previously interviewed along with me for a “CBS News Sunday Morning” segment, “Is America Too Sweet on Sugar” — is among those frightened by the massive consumption of sugar, particularly high fructose corn syrup, in this country and around the world.
Others sounding the sugar alarm include:
* Dr. Walter Willett of Harvard;
* Dr. Nancy Appleton, author of Suicide by Sugar: A Startling Look at Our #1 National Addiction;
* Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, who appears on my Gab with the Gurus Radio Show on March 31 to discuss his new book, Beat Sugar Addiction Now! ;
* Dr. Richard Johnson, author of The Sugar Fix: The High-Fructose Fallout That is Making You Fat and Sick.); and
* Myself, author of SUGAR SHOCK! How Sweet and Simple Carbs Can Derail Your Life–And How You Can Get Back on Track.
Now, I invite you to watch the eye-opening Nightline segment below.

Agave: Is It a Safe Sweetener Alternative? I Recommend Skipping It

Agave nectar has become quite controversial of late. Lately, many people — especially folks who are concerned about their health — have been eagerly consuming it, but I believe they’re doing so without knowing the full facts.
After repeated questions from people about whether or not they can safely consume agave, I posted on this Sugar Shock Blog, most recently here and before that, here.
My conclusion? Briefly, I’m really wary of this sweetener, which is really high in fructose. I have too many questions about agave.
To put it bluntly, I won’t ever consume agave since I know about the dangers of fructose, which I learned more about last weekend from Dr. Richard Johnson at a Food Addiction Summit in Washington state.
Richard (I got to know him while hiking there) is the author of the fascinating book, The Sugar Fix: The High Fructose Fallout That Is Making You Fat and Sick.

Agave May Not Be As Healthy As You Think: Get the Truth About This High-Fructose Sweetener

I’m pleased to see that some savvy people are now also revealing the truth about agave.
When my book SUGAR SHOCK! came out in January 2007, it seemed like I was one of the few people speaking out about its potential dangers.
For instance, I warned that agave is a non-GRAS (not generally recognized as safe) label for highly refined fructose, which is metabolized in your body like high fructose corn syrup.
Not only that, but I pointed out that agave has “twice the intensity and sweetness of high-fructose corn syrup,” according to food and beverage formulator Russ Bianchi.