ANOTHER REASON TO AVOID FOODS MADE OF SUGAR....

 Heyy ! I have had my exams all this while so couldn't post anything earlier. But I'm back again with yet another post to make the scientific track going! The human body handles glucose and fructose - the most abundant sugars in our diet. Every cell of our body can break down glucose for energy. However, in contrast, the only ones that can handle fructose are our liver cells. What the liver does with fructose, especially when too much fructose intake takes place, has potentially dangerous consequences for the heart and the liver.

Fructose, also called fruit sugar, was once a minor part of our diet. Today, it turns out to be a major part as almost all of the major part comes from the refined sugars (sucrose - half glucose, half fructose) used to make beverages, fruit drinks, sodas, pastries and other sweet foods, and breakfast cereals. 

High sugar intake has been linked to several health complications, including - cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.

The entry of fructose into the liver kicks off a series of complex chemical transformations. One remarkable change is that the liver uses fructose, a carbohydrate, to create fat, a process called lipogenesis. Fat building up in the liver can lead to non - alcoholic fatty liver disease too. 

Fatty liver disease damages the liver, preventing it from producing bile, and removing toxins. When the liver can't perform these processes effectively, it puts a person at risk for developing other problems throughout the body. Dietary changes and regular exercise are the key ways to manage fatty liver disease. 

The breakdown of fructose in the liver does much more than causing fatty liver disease. It also:

1. increases blood pressure
2. increases energetic, free radical compounds that have the capability to damage DNA and cells.
3. promotes build up of visceral fat (fat around organs)
4. makes tissues insulin - resistant
5. increases harmful LDL (bad cholestrol)

A study indicated that patients with non - alcoholic fatty liver disease are more likely than those without it to have build ups of cholestrol - filled plaque in their arteries. This shows very well that patients with non alcoholic fatty liver disease have a higher risk to cardiovascular diseases. 

There's still a long way to go for connecting the dots between fructose and non - alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Though clinical trials are yet to be shown on this linkage of fructose, it's still worth cutting back on fructose. However, don't cut back on fructose, by not eating fruits. Fruit is good for you and is a minor source of fructose for most people. The greatest sources of fructose are high - fructose corn syrup and refined sugars. So try cutting back on these, and improve the health of your heart and liver ! 

Well it is a bit difficult for us to cut on our sugar cravings, but let's just try for once this and see the effect !

Take care, stay safe, stay healthy !