Health claims for fructose ignore evidence of harm

Now, food and beverage manufacturers can claim that their products have a healthier composition if at least 30% of their glucose or sucrose is replaced with fructose.

The EFSA’s rationale for this decision is that fructose does not have a high glycemic (GI) index. The glycemic indices of foods are a measure of how much blood sugar levels rise when 50 grams of carbohydrates in a food are consumed.

Insulin is the main hormone that drives fat accumulation. This is the link between obesity and glucose.

It’s not as simple as you might think. It doesn’t necessarily mean that a food is healthy or that it can be eaten as much as you like.

Foods that are processed and contain fat (such as potato chips, chocolate, ice cream, etc.) have lower glycemic indices because the fat slows down gastric emptying. Most of us know that these foods are not ideal for weight loss.

It’s no surprise that fructose is low in glycemic indices since it isn’t glucose. (Remember that the glycemic index measure the increase in blood sugar levels. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it isn’t dangerous.

The body handles glucose and fructose very differently. While almost all tissues absorb glucose, fructose is by the liver.

The liver converts fructose into fat very quickly when we eat more than our body needs. This can also cause fatty (non-alcoholic) liver, which is very common in people who are obese and overweight.

Unchecked fatty liver can cause cirrhosis or liver failure. This condition can also lead to an increase in weight.

The excessive consumption of starchy carbohydrates (glucose) can contribute to weight gain but not fatty liver.

The metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance are exacerbated by excessive fructose consumption (more than glucose). This increases the risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other diseases.

The low glycemic indices of ice cream do not make it a health product. Cascadian Farm/Flickr

You should know that eating too much fructose can be harmful if you are overweight. In these circumstances, fructose is metabolized to provide energy.

Starches (polymers) and sucrose are the main sources of glucose.

In Australia, sucrose is the main source of fructose. High fructose Corn Syrup is now the main source of fructose in the United States.

Fruits contain fructose, but it is in a diluted state and conjunction with other nutrients and fiber. Health claims are overwhelmingly made on highly processed foods. (Remember the last time a health claim accompanied an apple).

Why would the processed foods industry want to make health claims about fructose?

Fructose has a much higher sweetness than glucose and is significantly sweeter compared to sucrose. Researchers in the food industry have conducted extensive research to determine what triggers excessive food consumption (the “bliss points”) and concluded that sweetness, along with salt and fat, is a major driver of excess food consumption.

Sweetness is good for business.

It’s interesting to note that when we consume calories (especially watery ones like those in alcohol or soft drinks), our bodies do not recognize them as calories. They are treated as though we were drinking plain water.

Caloric drinks can be problematic because we add them on top of what we choose to eat.

So, the European Union’s approach towards food regulation is quite reductionist. The EFSA used one short-term effect of a food component, the glycemic (or sugar) index, to justify health claims for fructose. It ignored all other science which indicates that it has adverse effects on long-term health, such as obesity, diabetes, heart diseases, liver disease, and weight gain.

It is another win for the powerful food and beverage lobby over public health advocates.