Came across this video through the Daily Lipid regarding fructose.
In my previous blog, I indicated that sugar is bad for us because we ate too much (which leads to fatty acid and triglyceride synthesis) and because refined sugar is empty calorie.
It is still true that excessive sugar is bad for us as when our body have too much of any one of the three dietary monosaccharides (glucose, fructose & galactose), fatty acids and triglycerides will be synthesized. Fatty acids get stored and make us look fat. Too much triglyceride is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
However, according to Dr. Robert Lustig, fructose is simply toxic. While glucose can be metabolized by every cell in the body, fructose can only be metabolized in the liver. Therefore, in this regard, consuming high fructose is like consuming high alcohol, which damages liver. And the byproducts of fructose metabolism are toxic, one being uric acid, the agent in gout. Galactose (mostly found in milk) is also metabolized in the liver, but we usually do not consume excessive amount.
So I stand corrected. Not all sugar is created equal. On the other hand, it is probably too radical to label fructose toxic. If eating whole fruits is healthy, then fructose cannot be toxic.
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It's good to see this posted. Best line: "Fructose is ethanol without the buzz." Alan Aragon had some counterpoints posted on his blog, but I don't think they negate the essential point here, the damage caused by sugar consumption. I've been trying to minimize/eliminate added sugar in my diet. Getting close, but it's still an ongoing project.
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