High Fructose Death Syrup Causes Low Energy and Fatty Liver

It is a testament to Pavlov and his dogs that the average American is dumb enough to consume 35 pounds of high fructose death syrup every year.  The Corn Refiners Association loves to say that their death syrup is no different than any other sugar.  Two recent studies prove that is not true and also prove that the death syrup uniquely causes fatty liver disease, which is a key marker of metabolic malfunction.  Even the FDA is onto the charade, denying a petition from the Corn Refiners Association to change food labels from “high fructose corn syrup” to innocent sounding “corn sugar.”

The public has a great deal of confusion on this topic because fructose is also the sugar naturally contained in fruit.  The new information helps explain why excess consumption of high fructose corn syrup creates metabolic problems; it turns one’s liver fatty and increases the risk for becoming a “metabolic cripple” when higher levels of fructose intake continue as problems are occurring.

Clearly, the preferred intake of fructose is from fruit (never high levels of fruit juice).  Fruit is a comprehensive nutritional package that also contains flavonoid antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, and fiber – along with a modest amount of fructose.  In comparison, most manufactured products containing large amounts of high fructose corn syrup have little nutritional value. Instead, they contain a branded flavor that is full of addictive chemical stimulants.  The goal for manufacturers is to create brand addiction, resulting in the powerful subconscious urge to consume more of their brand, which leads to massive overconsumption of fructose. 

The interesting thing about fructose is that unlike other sugar molecules it actually requires ATP (energy) to be metabolized.  At the same time the fructose molecule could potentially become energy as it is metabolized, leading to increased ATP synthesis.  When healthy people eat fruit, this happens.  Unfortunately, consuming high fructose corn syrup in excess is like flooding your engine with gas.  Your liver simply conks out.  Energy is actually depleted.  And enzymes are activated that turn on fat buildup in the liver while elevating uric acid to a point that it causes free radical damage and inflammation.  This is a fast path to obesity, fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Two studies show the results of high fructose corn syrup intake.  The first is an animal study that analyzed how fructose is metabolized.  It shows that fructose is first acted upon by the fructokinase enzyme, which adds energy (ATP) to the fructose molecule so that it can proceed in metabolism.  As it turns out there are two forms of this enzyme, fructokinase A and C.  Fructokinase A operates around the body and has a low affinity for fructose, meaning that when eaten in moderation this enzyme will slowly and steadily help metabolize the fructose.  Fructokinase C is highly concentrated in the liver and loves fructose.

These researchers showed that if both enzymes were knocked out in mice then they couldn’t develop metabolic syndrome from any amount of fructose metabolism because none of the fructose was metabolized.  Then they showed that mice lacking the A form rapidly developed insulin resistance, fatty liver, and metabolic syndrome.  They went on to show that the A form balances and protects against the potential adverse effects of the C form, but only at moderate intake.  At high intake the A form, which has low affinity for fructose, is no longer able to maintain balance and the C form goes wild.  This study is extremely important as it is the first to show this precise mechanism explaining why high intake of fructose is problematic.

The next study involved human type 2 diabetic patients and their ability to metabolize fructose.  The researchers used less than 15 grams of fructose per day to define low and more than 15 grams per day to define high fructose intake.  Please note that the average American consumes about 42 grams per day to get to 35 pounds a year. 

Diabetic patients who consumed more than 15 grams of fructose had lower stores of liver ATP, meaning liver energy function was compromised as predicted by the above animal study mechanism.  Furthermore, a fructose challenge resulted in further decreased energy production, meaning that the people were metabolic cripples when it now came to the fructose they were consuming in high amounts.  The degree of the fructose metabolism problem predicted fatty liver disease and its severity, as well as higher than normal levels of uric acid, which is highly inflammatory to the liver and general circulation. 

High fructose corn syrup is the fastest way to get large and excess amounts of fructose into your body.  It is clear that this compromises your liver’s energetic function, which will take its toll sooner or later.  The first sign of a problem is weight gain.  If not corrected, liver damage and malfunction follow, locking in metabolic disease.  This is not a pretty picture.

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Excess Fat Outside Your Arteries Causes Coronary Artery Disease

Over the past four years I have extensively reported on the rather stunning finding that fat accumulating on the outside of your arteries is a primary cause, if not the primary cause, of coronary artery disease.  In a clever series of experiments, researchers induced this type of fat to form around the arteries of mice.  Then they transplanted the problematic fat around the carotid arteries of healthy mice, at which point the healthy mice quickly developed coronary artery disease.

I call this “fat in all the wrong places.”  You actually have a layer of perivascular fat around your arteries that is part of the structure and insulation for your arteries.  When you gain weight your body tries to store the extra calories in your white adipose tissue.  After a while your white adipose tissue can’t tolerate the extent of the abuse. Then your liver starts storing excess fat in direct proportion to your waistline expanding. Once that defense mechanism is overloaded fat begins to accumulate in all the wrong places, marbleizing your muscles, kidneys, pancreas, heart, and many other places.  One such place an unfortunate swelling in size occurs is in the perivascular fat around your arteries.  This now swollen fat sends massive inflammatory signals into your arteries causing them to shrink and build up plaque.

You can read more about this in my earlier articles: A Whole New Meaning of Fatty Arteries, Circulatory Health and Baby Fat Cells, How Your Heart Gets Fat, Fat Outside Your Arteries is the Major Cause of Cardiovascular Disease, and Fat Build Up On the Outside of the Heart Predicts Problems in Arteries.

The good news is that as you engage the process of weight loss your body tends to clear out fat from the wrong places first, including the fat around your arteries.  This is one reason why the risk for heart disease drops when people lose 20 percent of the fat they need to lose – and the risk stays low as long as people consistently keep heading in the right direction. 

It doesn’t take rocket science to know whether or not you have a problem.  Cardio imaging scans have demonstrated that if the measurement of your waistline (in inches) multiplied by two is greater than your height (in inches) then you are accumulating fat in all the wrong places.  The greater the size of your waistline, the larger the problem.  The more years you have been in that condition, the greater the amount of problematic fat you accumulate, along with the risk for clogging your arteries.  This is one reason why public health officials are sounding alarm bells about weight problems in our younger people – it is a methodical path to disease at an early age.

In addition to losing weight, nutrients that aid in the metabolism of fat while protecting your body from inflammation coming out of fat are helpful tools to consider.  Top nutrient support includes DHA Docosahexaenoic acid Essential omega 3 fatty acid integral to the health of all cell membranes, nerve and brain function. Must be gotten through the diet via cold water oceanic fish or some very limited plant sources or taken as a supplement., tocotrienol Specialized form of vitamin E. Powerful antioxidant showing positive benefits for cholesterol, cardiovascular, neurological health and cancer risk reduction. E, quercetin, pantethine, acetyl-l-carnitine, and Q10 – there are many others.

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Infection causes one in six new cancer cases: study

"A nurse carries a patient on a stretcher at a hospital. Largely preventable or treatable infections with viruses, bacteria and parasites cause about two million new cancer cases and 1.5 million cancer deaths each year, said a study published Wednesday. (AFP Photo/Fred Dufour)" title

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Lack of Sleep Causes Overeating

A new study measures the brain activity of healthy, normal weight adults aged 22-26 to determine the effects of a lack of sleep on appetite signaling in their brains.  The study showed that a lack of sleep causes brain signaling to significantly increase in areas associated with food acquisition.  In other words, if you don’t sleep enough you are much more likely to eat too much food and gain weight.

This study helps prove the point of many earlier studies showing that a lack of sleep, even in children, is associated with weight gain.  This study adds to the evidence, showing that cravings relating to addiction and reward come in to play when you don’t sleep enough.

Food acquisition is required for survival.  When your body is tired, as in the case of a lack of sleep, your cells think they need more energy.  This can trigger powerful subconscious urges to eat.

There are several key points here for any person trying to stay on a reduced calorie diet for weight loss purposes:
1)  Get enough sleep each night or you will really struggle with cravings.  Use enough sleep-helpful nutrients to assist you, as needed, to get that result.
2)  If you do get a poor night’s sleep then understand that you will be at high risk for getting off your diet that day.  Use extra energy-support nutrients early in the day to help offset the lack of sleep, otherwise you may find that you cannot make it through the day without eating too much.

Part of managing your weight is understanding how your body works and why it might crave food.  Nipping sleep problems in the bud, which includes having a schedule where you have the potential to get 7-8 hours of sleep per night, is quite important for a healthy metabolism.

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No Proof That Gum Disease Causes Heart Disease, Experts Say

HealthDay – 30 mins ago WEDNESDAY, April 18 (HealthDay News) -- A new scientific statement issued by the American Heart Association says no convincing evidence exists linking untreated gum disease to heart disease or stroke. Nor is there strong evidence that treating gum disease can reduce your risk of heart disease or stroke, the report says.

For more than 100 years, it was said that gum, or periodontal, disease could lead to cardiovascular disease, a major cause of death in the United States, but an extensive analysis found no proof of that connection.

"It's a statement that current science does not support a direct association or a causative association," said Dr. Peter Lockhart, a professor, dentist and co-chair of oral medicine at the Carolinas Medical Center, in Charlotte, N.C.

The report has been in the works for more than three years, Lockhart said. "It was a matter of finding out, what is the state of the science?"

The statement, released April 18, is published in the journal Circulation.

The American Dental Association's Council on Scientific Affairs agrees with the statement. The World Heart Federation, a nongovernmental organization that fights heart disease globally, also endorses it.

Many U.S. adults suffer from some form of gum disease, which can range from mild swelling and redness to periodontitis, when the gums pull away from the teeth and develop pockets that get infected.

The writing group -- co-chaired by cardiologist Dr. Ann Bolger of the University of California, San Francisco -- combed the medical literature on cardiovascular and gum disease from 1950 until mid-July 2011. They found more than 500 studies, and looked in-depth at the most scientific ones.

Gum disease, heart disease and stroke all produce inflammation in the body. The conditions share some risk factors, such as cigarette smoking, age and diabetes, which is why they often develop in the same people.

However, the writing group did not feel the evidence is strong enough to say gum disease causes heart disease or stroke.

"So far, there is no conclusive evidence

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What Causes Hot Flashes, Anyway?

HealthDay – 43 mins ago THURSDAY, April 12 (HealthDay News) -- Millions of middle-aged women experience it: that sudden onset of intense heat, sweating and flushing known as a hot flash.

Though it's long been believed that the drop in hormone levels that accompanies menopause contributes to hot flashes, experts say relatively little is known about what actually causes them, or what's occurring when women have one.

"About 70 percent of women experience hot flashes, but their underlying physiology isn't well understood," said Rebecca Thurston, an assistant professor of psychiatry, psychology and epidemiology at University of Pittsburgh.

A new study by Thurston and her colleagues attempts to get at the underlying physiology. Researchers had 21 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women aged 40 to 60 who reported having daily hot flashes wear a heart monitor over a 24-hour period. Perimenopause is the time leading up to menopause when the ovaries produce less estrogen but a woman still gets her period.

The heart monitor showed that during a hot flash, heart-rate variability -- a measure of beat-to-beat changes in heart rate -- decreased significantly, a sign that the parasympathetic nervous system isn't working as well as it normally does.

The parasympathetic nervous system is one aspect of the autonomic nervous system, which regulates unconscious bodily functions such as heart and respiration rates. While the sympathetic nervous system governs the fight-or-flight response, the parasympathetic nervous system is involved with "rest and restore," or regulating the body at rest, Thurston explained.

Other research has found an association between cardiovascular disease and decreased parasympathetic nervous system control of the heart. While researchers say it's too soon to conclude that hot flashes have a connection to heart disease, it's worth continuing to study them, Thurston said.

"There were transient decreases during the hot flash, but the good news is it does come back up," Thurston said.

The research is in the April issue of Menopause.

For something that's so common, experts say it's surprising how little is understood about hot flashes. What's known is that they can vary in severity, frequency and duration. Some women may get just a few hot flashes; others suffer from multiple hot flashes a day for years.

Hot flashes are also one of the most common complaints sending women to see their doctors, experts said. Hot flashes can impair quality of life, sleep and lead to feelings of depression, according to background information in the study. Still other studies have hinted that hot flashes are associated with ill health effects, including low bone density and heart disease.

Specifically, studies have found that women who experience hot flashes are more likely to have signs of early atherosclerosis (sometimes called hardening of the arteries), such as calcified plaques in the aorta of the heart, Thurston said.

But women don't have to simply suffer with them, said Dr. Margery Gass, executive director of the North American Menopause Society.

The most effective treatment for hot flashes is hormone therapy, typically estrogen and progestin, Gass said. However, because hormone therapy carries some risks -- including boosting the risk of certain cancers, including endometrial cancer -- women should only turn to hormones if they're really bothered by hot flashes, and then they should stay on hormones only as long as they need to, Gass said.

Another treatment option: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs -- a class of drugs commonly used to treat depression or anxiety. But the medications don't work as well as the hormones for most women, Thurston said.

Lifestyle changes can also help, Gass said. As people age, their "thermoneutral zone" -- the temperature at which they feel not too hot and not too cold -- shrinks.

A very minor increase in core body temperature can trigger hot flashes in some women. So, avoid becoming overheated, Gass said. Bring a fan to work and switch it on if you feel you're getting warm. Wear layered clothing so that you can peel off layers as needed. At night, sleep with a loosely woven blanket and sleep with one leg uncovered, and avoid down comforters.

Over time, hot flashes diminish, and usually totally disappear, Gass said.

"The natural course of hot flashes is they get milder and less frequent over time, and for the majority of women, they disappear altogether," Gass said. "A few women may have occasional ones forever, but usually they're manageable."

More information

WomensHealth.gov has more on menopause.

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Saying Obesity Causes Autism is Careless

This story comes from the Yahoo! Contributor Network, where individuals publish their unique perspectives on some of the world’s most popular websites.Do you have a story to tell? Become a Yahoo! contributor COMMENTARY

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Health Tip: The Causes of Corns

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