Fructose Does Not Lead to Adverse Metabolic Effects

ATLANTA (December 18, 2013) — Too many calories, not fructose, are what cause health problems like obesity and diabetes according to a recent review study (Rippe, 2013).

The study, published in Advances in Nutrition, examined the research on health and sugars that contain fructose.  The researcher found that while some weaker designed studies may have found a link between the two, strongly designed (randomized-controlled trials) did not.  He pointed out that many studies have found that it is probably excess intake of calories, not fructose per se, that leads to health issues.

The review showed the following:

• Fructose-containing sugars, alone, do not cause obesity.
• The consumption of fructose-containing sugars up to very high levels (the 90^th percentile for daily intake) does not increase the risk factors for diabetes.
• Normal consumption of fructose-containing sugars does not appear to negatively affect blood pressure, uric acid levels or total cholesterol levels.
• Typical consumption levels of fructose-containing sugars do not lead to increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome.

Many factors contribute to obesity, such overall eating habits and the amount of calories consumed. Obesity is unlikely to be caused by one particular food ingredient such as fructose.