Fructose free or limiting diet

Hi

I have done a lot of reading on the effects of fructose lately and have decided i will try to minimise it as much as possible in my everyday diet. Its very difficult to figure out what is in the foods from the ingredients as they don't specify fructose content in the sugars section.

Do anyone know of a good website, irish orientated, that can give a definitive list of irish products and the estimated fructose content. Also which is good foods and which is bad.

I am going to try and bake a few cakes using Dextrose instead of normal sugar.

Apparently, by just cutting fructose in your diet helps you shed excess weight and is generally overall very good for you arteries, heart, pancreas etc.

Any advise would be appreciated

gubbie

I'm pretty similar actually, I've just given up added sugar for lent, so essentially fructose too. But I've essentially been keeping away from any sweet things bar fruit. I suppose the basic thing is in the ingredients, if it mentions sugar, then it's gone, anything with -ose at the end, gone.

Why specifically fructose? Why not say sucrose or glucose too?

From reading up and then reading a book called 'sweet poison' i have learned that fructose is the ingredient in sugar that is the most dangerous and bypasses the whole pancreas system and creates empty calories.

Glucose your body needs. Sucrose is basically your table sugar and is 50% fructose. Most dairy (non flavoured) are lactose and is essentially seen by the body. Beer to my delight is maltose.

Basically fructose is the one you need to be avoiding. I was looking at cereals for example and all your typical 'high fibre' ones are laced in fructose and essentially cancel your fibre intake.

Also if your like me and enjoy a snack with your tea, bake cupcakes, replacing the normal sugar with dextrose. Dextrose is basically glucose which the body needs and does not bypass your system.

Fructose increases the fatty acids in your blood and also gives you plenty of empty calories which explains why you can easily finish a large bug mac meal which is 1000 calories which is the equivalent of 7 medium potatoes. Don't know about you but it would be hard not to be full on 7 medium potatoes.

Was also shocked to learn your actually better off having a coke over any fruit juice. Both are terrible just to be clear.

From reading up and then reading a book called 'sweet poison' i have learned that fructose is the ingredient in sugar that is the most dangerous and bypasses the whole pancreas system and creates empty calories.

Glucose your body needs. Sucrose is basically your table sugar and is 50% fructose. Most dairy (non flavoured) are lactose and is essentially seen by the body. Beer to my delight is maltose.

Basically fructose is the one you need to be avoiding. I was looking at cereals for example and all your typical 'high fibre' ones are laced in fructose and essentially cancel your fibre intake.

Also if your like me and enjoy a snack with your tea, bake cupcakes, replacing the normal sugar with dextrose. Dextrose is basically glucose which the body needs and does not bypass your system.

Fructose increases the fatty acids in your blood and also gives you plenty of empty calories which explains why you can easily finish a large bug mac meal which is 1000 calories which is the equivalent of 7 medium potatoes. Don't know about you but it would be hard not to be full on 7 medium potatoes.

Was also shocked to learn your actually better off having a coke over any fruit juice. Both are terrible just to be clear.

hardCopy

Fat burning cakes eh?

where did i say fat burning cake? I said replace the sugar with dextrose as your body will see the dextrose and not fructose. So instead of getting empty calories from fructose, you get calories that will fill you up

groovyg

I'm seeing a lot of blogs/instagram/snap chat accounts with beautiful people who love posting pics of so called healthy recipes that are free from refined sugar or sugar free. The other day I saw a post on making your own "healthy mars bars"
These are the ingredients for the recipe

For the base layer
110g (1 cup) chopped raw pecan nuts
112g (3/4 cup) dates, pitted and soaked in warm water for 20 minutes to soften
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the middle caramel layer
150g (1 cup) dates, pitted and soaked in warm water for 20 minutes, to soften
2 tbsp smooth almond butter
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp warm water, to blend

For the chocolate top layer
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp cacao powder
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

From looking at the ingredients I'd say there are a more cals in that healthy alternative than in your bog standard Mars bar.

They common theme I see in all their sweet treat recipes is using medjool dates/maple syrup/honey as alternative to sugar but if somebody wants to lose weight they shouldn't be eating these in the first place. Is swapping one sweet thing for the other really going to make a blind bit of a difference if somebody is watching the pounds.

Zillah

You are absolutely right about fructose being the bad one. It can only be processed in the liver which can have bad effects. I do hope this doesn't mean you'll be avoiding fruit, however. The fibre slows down the absorption which offsets the problems, they're packed full of other stuff that's good for you, and has pretty low amounts of sugar anyway.

The problem with using dextrose for baking is that it's not actually very sweet. So you get a really bad sweetness:calorie ratio. You're probably better off trying to enjoy sweet things that also have a good bit of fibre in them.

As for packaging labels: anything that says "sugar" in the ingredients almost certainly means sucrose, so as you say, 50% fructose. Same deal essentially with high-fructose corn syrup. It's not glucose unless they specify glucose.

So if you want to avoid fructose, I'm pretty sure you just need to not eat anything that is both sweet and processed/manufactured. That said, there's nothing wrong with having something sweet on occasion as part of an otherwise healthy diet - just remember it's a desserty treat and nothing else.

Latatian

Surely all pure sugar is essentially 'empty calories' and won't fill you up? The big mac would definitely fill me and I wouldn't be able to eat anything the next day.

Is there any evidence fructose is worse than the other sugars? I know it's a lot sweeter, sure, but that also means you can use less of it to get the same taste with fewer calories. You can see this for yourself- on your porridge it'll take less honey or agave nectar to sweeten if you're using table sugar. Could be why honey (50% fructose) and agave (80% fructose) are so sickly. Not to say that you should be eating a lot of it- but for me if it means that I reduce overall sugar and calories I'm not convinced that's a bad thing.

Good on you for reducing your sugars though, and that can only be a good thing. You're absolutely right about vitamin juices and coke- I was reading a nutritionist called Yoni Freedhoff and he said basically you wouldn't encourage your kids to drink eight teaspoons of sugar in a glass of water just because someone had put a few vitamins in there.

Zillah

Latatian wrote: »

Is there any evidence fructose is worse than the other sugars?

Yes, tons. Every cell in your body can use glucose; fructose can only be processed by the liver. When taken in large quantities over time it can stress the liver and result in a range of negative metabolic effects. We're not talking about fruit in a normal diet here, though, we're talking fizzy drinks and other high-sugar manufactured products.

This is a pretty thorough explanation of it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

I know it's a lot sweeter, sure, but that also means you can use less of it to get the same taste with fewer calories.

It's a solid idea, but the real-world effect is that it screws up your hunger/satiety hormones and you end up hungrier than ever.

It's only really an issue when it comes to very overweight people eating huge amounts of fructose - like guzzling large cokes at the cinema and that sort of thing. What's used to sweeten your porridge is unlikely to be an issue.

Re - Zillah - I am still eating my apple a day and maybe an orange or banana. I was eating plenty of melon and other fruits but i have decided to cut down to 2-3 portions of fruit daily. The fiber content to fructose in some fruits isn't great. Regarding Dextrose, i know it would be as sweet and would be bland but over time my palate would find it sweet and reverting back to anything with Fructose would be too sweet for my palate.

I recommend 'Sweet Poison' from David Gillespie. He has basically researched like crazy and put it into a readable form that us non medical people can make sense of. He was basically 40kg over weight and couldn't get any diet to work. After a lot of investigative work and usage to sickness comparisons he figured out it was the fructose that was detrimental more than anything else. He didn't cut down on the amount of food he ate, he just cut out fructose and over 2 years he lost 40 kg, mainly because when fructose is taken away it stops distorting the normal pancreas operation of insulin etc and all the hormones start operating correctly which in effect got his body clock working to tell him when he was full etc. Very interesting read and was definitely the best i read.

Latatian, no not all sugars are empty, just Fructose. Your body converts glucose to energy. Your body basically uses galactose and glucose for body functions and energy. Fructose bypasses the whole system, which include the appetite control system so you don't fill up from them because the body doesn't see them. Fructose turns to fat and fatty acids. So in effect fructose is detrimental to our arteries and is probably worse than saturated fats. Fructose affects your leptin levels so you essentially end up eating more and more. From my reading and watching, it is the main cause of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, even cancers and obesity. Do a bit of research, its an eye opener and very very scary what damage it does.

Latatian

Your body uses fructose for energy too. Pure glucose is an empty calorie, also. Glucose isn't that satiating by itself, either, sugars aren't really as satiating as things with protein, fat, fibre.

I don't see the big problem with it being processed by the liver per se- and if it is processed by the liver how can it 'bypass the whole system'? Nearly everything is processed by the liver, even the glucose will get taken up from the bloodstream if there's excess and converted by it and then stored. Any fats you consume will be processed by it, as well as lots of substances found in your diet normally (hence why many substances like alcohol, or fat, taken in excess will cause liver disease.)

I'd like to see more scientific evidence on the fructose thing- like books are useful but they're not the appropriate way to answer this question. It would make sense that if you cut out a lot of sweet foods you would lose weight- any restrictive diet will make you lose weight- so I'm not sure about the 'feeling full' theory as based on that, it's not enough evidence for it.

I will buy 'in excess quantities it is bad for liver, has a risk of gout, associated with cardiovascular disease/obesity/diabetes, and should be reduced in the diet or taken in moderation.' I agree it should be reduced. I just always want to see the evidence for myself, you know? AndI don't think it's strong enough yet to say that it is the 'main cause' of those things.

Where did you see Fructose gives you energy?

And where did you see glucose is an empty calorie?

Zillah

Deleted User wrote: »

Where did you see Fructose gives you energy?

No one has ever suggested that fructose can't be burned for calories. It has to happen in the liver, but it does happen. You've completely gotten the wrong end of the stick if you got the impression the body can't use fructose for energy - it's just a less than ideal source.

And where did you see glucose is an empty calorie?

That expression doesn't really mean anything specific. An "empty calorie" usually means anything that provides energy (calories), that doesn't contain much else (fibre, protein, micronutrients). In that sense, pure glucose is pretty much the definition of an empty calorie - but unless you've gotten into a diabetic's emergency supply you're hardly eating that.

Latatian

Zillah- that's why I was saying it's an empty calorie- because it was said that fructose 'gives you plenty of empty calories' and I don't see how that's different from other sugars.

Edit: just clarifying why I used the 'pure glucose' example, since you commented on it.

Zillah

I am starting to suspect that keeffo2005 isn't sure what a calorie is...? Calories are just a measurement of the energy content of food.

Miles = Distance.
Degrees = Temperature.
Calories = Energy.

Zillah your a bit of a genius are you?

I would count an empty calorie one of which is completely useless, not one which just is nutrient deficient.

Maybe look up GLUT transporters and the effects of GLUT 5 on the system. The liver does process fructose but it doesn't turn it to energy. Fructose is converted into fatty acids which go directly into your bloodstream.

Don't need you to do units of measurement for me thanks.

Maybe look up your 1000 calorie big mac meal and compare it that calorie quantity in a meal with say pasta. Pasta you will be full a lot longer and be more energetic from it.

maybe i am describing it in a wrong way but Fructose confuses your system and from what i have read and watched its becoming fairly common knowledge of the detrimental effects of fructose. But again its commercial interests that will always win in marketing, coke do not want people becoming conscious as this would destroy them

What makes a diet coke, they remove the HFCS and replace it with sweeteners but those sweeteners are popping up questions about their cancer agents.

ford2600

@Keeffo2005 I wouldn't use the book you have referred to as your only source of information.

The author, had a life changing experience as a result of dropping sugar. Usually such people, while meaning no harm, are evangelic in their approach.

Added sugar is typically a bad idea, certainly in how it is consumed throughout the Western world, but if you worrying about sugar in fruit in an otherwise clean diet you are very much majoring in the minors.

Some interesting articles here
http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.ie/search?q=sugar

There are plenty more good sources out there

Latatian

What do you mean by 'completely useless', first of all? Might help clear things up.

Fructose has to be turned into energy. That it gets preferentially stored as fat doesn't mean it doesn't get used by the body to provide energy.

I don't see what the use of the pasta/big mac comparison is? Liquid calories are non-satiating, sure. Why do you think that of the many differences between a big mac and a bowl of pasta it has to be the pasta? I can easily imagine that if you drank a glucose-containing sugar drink and had cheese and meat with your pasta you could get up to the same without making yourself any more full. How much fructose is in a big mac anyway?

Zillah

Deleted User wrote: »

I would count an empty calorie one of which is completely useless, not one which just is nutrient deficient.

This is a contradiction. If it has usable energy content that energy is measured in calories. If it doesn't have any usable energy then it has no calories. You can't have calorie that doesn't provide energy - the definition of a calorie is as a measurement of energy. It's like saying a mile with no distance.

How the body uses fructose for energy is very complicated, but it has many mechanisms for turning it into usable energy. Lots of science-rich detail here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructolysis
29% - 54% of fructose is converted in liver to glucose, and about quarter of fructose is converted to lactate. 15% - 18% is converted to glycogen. Glucose and lactate are then used normally as energy to fuel cells all over the body.

You've misunderstood something you've read if you think fructose doesn't provide energy.

Lux23

I think the most sensible thing is to avoid processed foods, so rather than eating shop bought cereal, you could make you own muesli or just eat porridge with almond milk or some other unsweetened milk. Swap pasta/rice/spuds for vegetables whenever you can. Don't eat shop bought sauces/soups etc.

jigglypuffstuff

My eyes are bleeding, avoid fructose why??

To quote Alan Aragon

So, what’s the upper safe limit of fructose per day (all sources considered)? Again, this depends on a number of variables, not the least of which are an individual’s physical activity level and lean body mass. Currently in the literature is a liberal camp reporting that fructose intakes up to 90 grams per day have a beneficial effect on HbA(1c), and no significant effects are seen for fasting triacylglycerol or body weight with intakes up to 100 grams per day in adults [15]. The conservative camp suggests that the safe range is much less than this; roughly 25-40 grams per day [19]. Figuring that both sides are biased, the middle figure between the two camps is roughly 50 grams for adults (I’m talking about the general population, athletes with high energy demands can safely consume more).

And from Lyle McDonald

while people will **** on about how fructose doesn't raise leptin and insulin and gets turned to fat, they ignore the data showing that, after fructose ingestion, fat oxidation is generally higher than after other sugars (b/c of the lack of insulin increase)

so yeah, fructose in excess converts to fat in the liver
but hte body burns more fat after fructose conversion

it's amazing, it's almost as if the body will work it all out

My take : Theres no need to avoid fructose...theres a big need to avoid processed crap, fructose averages 5-7g per piece of fruit (some like straberries are more in the range of 2-3g, so unless you're eating around 10 pieces a day...one could assume you're generally ok to have a normal 2-3 portions per day

Plus if you wanna bake and are looking at dextrose cakes...Fructose is your last concern....

teddykrueger

pone2012 wrote: »

My eyes are bleeding, avoid fructose why??

Because you'll die if you don't.