Better to Use Vitamin E My Dear

All over the TV ads in the Spokane market is an ad from Spokane Internal Medicine attempting to lure you into a Big PhRMA study allegedly for diabetic neuropathy relief using Lyrica.

Yes, you get paid, just as in most of these studies. But is this worth the risk?

Lyrica is a very controversial drug and comes with a high price in dollars and negative risks for your health.

I think it would be a great service to patients with pain, FMS, and neuropathy if SIM started a study to show you just how effective natural vitamin E can be to prevent and reverse neuropathy. 

Contact us FMI, and be sure to check out all the Lyrica related articles on Natural Health News.

Avandia: Is it time to pull it off the market?

UPDATE: 15 July - FDA reviewer David Graham told the panel Avandia's risks were real enough "to put you in a hospital or a cemetery."

Graham, who wants the pill banned, recently published an analysis estimating that as many as 100,000 heart-related problems may have been caused by Avandia among seniors on Medicare.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I remember back in 2004 coming across a report on the cardiovascular risk from Avandia. It caught my eye because I knew someone taking the drug and I took the opportunity to advise him of the issue.

Over the almost seven years since I first had reports of problems, it seems as if the controversy hasn't stopped.

Since the problems in the US were reported recently, Avandia now seems to be having problems in Europe.

Diabetes Drug Maker Hid Test Data on Risks, Files Indicate - Dates to 1999

By Emily P. Walker, Washington Correspondent, MedPage Today Published: July 11, 2010

WASHINGTON -- FDA staff reviewers blasted rosiglitazone (Avandia) in briefing documents released Friday, recommending that the diabetes drug be yanked from the market because of the "serious" cardiovascular risks it poses.
Rosiglitazone is no more effective at improving glycemic control in type 2 diabetes than pioglitazone (Actos) and provides no known unique health benefits, FDA reviewers wrote. While both drugs increase the risk of congestive heart failure, the effects of rosiglitazone are "substantially greater," the briefing documents concluded.
It remains to be seen whether a joint panel of outside medical experts will agree with this assessment. The panel meets July 13 and 14 to make recommendations about rosiglitazone -- including whether to pull the drug from the market.
Next week's meeting will be the second time an advisory panel has been asked to guide the FDA on what to do about rosiglitazone.
In 2007, a panel voted 20 to 3 that rosiglitazone increased cardiovascular risks, but then decided 22 to 1 that the benefits outweighed the risks.
In their current review, the FDA faulted the logic of the 2007 advisory decision, saying the panel failed to document the specific benefits of rosiglitazone. Since then, the benefits of the drug remain unclear, the agency said.
Next week's panel will review a number of different studies, including a post-marketing study the FDA reviewers branded as unethical.
A spokeswoman for GlaxoSmithKline said the company stands behind the safety and efficacy of rosiglitazone.

To me this falls into that category of covering up the facts as we have seen with so many other drugs throughout the last decade. And its an adjunct to this smirky comment about looking at the health protection agencies of the planet; they put forth propaganda with the purpose of causing fear....and to sell drugs.

The focus too long has been the profit motive and not public health!

GlaxoSmithKline's Diabetes Drug Avandia Draws More Scrutiny in Europe
By MELLY ALAZRAKI, Daily Finance, 07/09/10

Problems for GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) diabetes drug Avandia seem to be getting worse. The European Medicines Agency said Friday it's launching a new review of Avandia's benefit-risk profile following new data on the possibility of cardiovascular problems.

Avandia has been in the crosshairs of scientists, regulatory agencies and even U.S. senators in the past year. The EMA decision only adds to the already existing pressure. GSK shares tumbled 2.5% in premarket trading.

Last month, two new studies linked rosiglitazone, or Avandia, to heart attacks and other cardiovascular complications. The authors of the studies said the results should prompt regulators to pull the drug from the market. A U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel is indeed going to study the data next week.

A New Reevaluation

Now, the EMA will also be considering Avandia following the recent studies. Already, the product has been reviewed several times by the agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, which has updated the product information to include warnings on the use of these medicines in patients with heart problems. In 2008, the committee concluded that "rosiglitazone retained a small, if diminishing, place in diabetes type 2 therapy." Then again, it looked at the drug earlier this year.

The committee is now assessing the new data and will be discussing the issue at its next plenary meeting, July 19-22.

"Once all relevant data on the benefits and the risks of rosiglitazone have been looked at, the CHMP will issue an opinion on whether or not the marketing authorisations for these medicines should be revoked, suspended or changed," the EMA said in a statement.

The EU has authorized rosiglitazone on its own is as Avandia, in combination with metformin as Avandamet, and with glimepiride as Avaglim.

"Insufficient Data"?

GSK has defended Avandia, saying two heart associations have found that "Insufficient data exist to support the choice of" one treatment over the other. Still, sales of Avandia, which topped $2.6 billion in 2006, fell to $1.2 billion in 2009 after the FDA added a label warning regarding the elevated cardiac risk.

Judging from investors' reaction, the pressure on this drug is likely to keep mounting.
http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/investing/glaxosmithkline-avandia-europe/19547971/#

from Natural Health News - 4 of 14 articles referring to Avandia
FDA and Avandia: Ethics Lacking
Jun 05, 2010
FDA-Sanctioned International Diabetes Drug Trial Is Unethical and Dangerous “Surely no patient would willingly participate in a trial in which they have a substantial likelihood of taking a drug that, in the opinion of a large group of ...

Risks Potentially Outweigh Benefits with Avandia®
Jan 14, 2009
Avandia®, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), was first approved by the FDA in 1999 for marketing on the basis of its ability to lower blood glucose and reduce insulin resistance. By 2006 the drug had become the top selling oral ...

Avandia Increases Bone Risk for Women
Dec 10, 2008
GlaxoSmithKline, which markets rosiglitazone as Avandia, said the safety and effectiveness of the drug was backed by one of the largest clinical trial programmes ever undertaken for any medicine, with 52000 patients studied. ...

Here is another well thought out idea
Sep 15, 2006
Now for women you'll get more drug because Avandia is not as effective for you. However if you already have liver or kidney dis-ease you should not take this drug! And it will increase your LDL level so - hey - more drugs. ...

Another OPRAH marketing monster

I am not opposed to not taking a seriously looking at the serious problems with diabetes we face in the US today.  It is a serious problem and it deserves a serious discussion and serious action.

There are many factors in the diabetes 1 and 2 equations that were not discussed on the program today and these deserve as much attention as do exercise, nutrition, and proper testing of your blood sugar.

Vaccines are implicated in the rising number of children developing Type 1 diabetes.

The poor quality of food today is a factor in the development of Type 2 diabetes as is the use of artificial sweeteners, over processed food, and high fructose corn syrup.

Other problems are the nutritional deficiencies caused by the diabetes drugs and problems with insulin (the cancer / Lantus connection for example).

A major concern I've had for years is the lack of information provided to people with diabetes about the need to have proper and thorough thyroid and adrenal testing, as well as being provided with information on how Vitamin E prevents neuropathy and how vitamin C prevents retinopathy.  Dr. Oz made not comment on this important information.

Bob Green is again promoting his chemically filled, soy oil artificial spread.  How about half a cup of high quality olive oil sold in glass bottls and 1 stick of unsalted butter.  Butter just isn't as bad as they'd like you to believe.

Greene also is giving out advice on blood sugar testing that isn't even close to what should be done.  Once a day testing isn't adequate!

He's still pushing SOY in the form of Silk  for meals, but take a look at some of the concerns I raised about his endorsments -

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/01/best-life-whoa-oprah-didnt-bob-tell-you.html

 http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2007/01/fake-foods-oprah-bob-and-general-mills.html

There isn't inclusion of the natural things that you can do to prevent and reverse diabetes, and no discussion about why some people just cannot follow a vegan diet to get healthy.

So, yes, do exercise, use a better selection of food, watch how much you eat, but get more facts before following this Oprah-hyped plan.  It probably is a good as Heidi Klum and the Diet Coke approach to increasing the risk of heart disease.

And if you'd like to start a food buying club if you are in a poor area with little access to healthy whole food let me know and I'll tell you how.

And please, the next time you have a program on diabetes make sure you note that the highest proportion of people who have diabetes are those who are Native American or of Native American descent.

NOTE: Our parent organization, CHI, offers two nutritional programs, one is informational which you can receive with a donation.  The second is $40 which includes a lengthy questionaire you complete at home which will tell you your metabolic type (1 of 12) based on your autonomic nervous system function.  We also offer nutritional counseling and health coaching.

Brown Rice: More than Low GL or High Fiber

Brown Rice has been a mainstay of organic, whole food nutrition and food plans for a very long time.  It has also been a mainstay of more macrobiotic food plans for as long or longer.  Both choices have suffered the ridicule of mainstream medicine and dietitians for as long or longer than I have been involved as a health care professional which has been more than 40 years.  I have studied nutrition for far longer and it amazes me how slow mainstream is to learn about the benefits of such whole foods as brown rice, and then how they get the credit as if they are the first to discover it.

I have for decades now been recommending a special brown rice meal to people with diabetes or those at risk.  I've also been recommending it as a special meal for deep cellular detoxification.  And if you knew the nutritional benefits you would understand why.

White rice 'raises diabetes risk', say US experts

Replacing white rice with brown rice and wholemeal bread could cut the risk of diabetes by a third, US experts say.  White rice has a higher glycaemic index than brown rice

Replacing white rice with brown rice and wholemeal bread could cut the risk of diabetes by a third, US experts say.

White rice poses a diabetes threat because it causes steep rises in blood sugar, say Harvard researchers in Archives of Internal Medicine.
Brown rice and other wholegrain foods are a healthier option as they release glucose more gradually, they say. Complete article

What I think is more important and not addressed in this report is the basic nutritional profile of this whole food and that connection to health or dis-ease.

Brown rice is high in the mineral manganese. Manganese is important for many functions. It can

• Help your body utilize several key nutrients such as biotin, thiamine, ascorbic acid, and choline
• Keep your bones strong and healthy
• Help your body synthesize fatty acids and cholestorol
• Maintain normal blood sugar levels
• Promote optimal function of your thyroid gland
• Maintain the health of your nerves
• Protect your cells from free-radical damage 

Biotin and Thiamine are part of the vitamin B complex.  B vitamins are especially important for people with diabetes.  It is also important to support healthy thyroid function because it has a direct link to diabetes.

Brown rice is also high in selenium which helps support your thyroid and iodine metabolism, and it is high in magnesium which is also very important for people with this health problem.  This unhulled rice also is known to be high in phytonutrients that may be equal to or higher than fruits and vegetables.

Brown rice is helpful as well for lowering cholesterol, preventing cardiovascular disease, weight management, protecting against breast and colon cancer (other cancers too), preventing gallstones, and aiding childhood asthma.

Purchase organic brown rice when possible to reduce risk of arsenic exposure and store it in the refrigerator to prevent it from becoming rancid as it contains rice bran oils.  The oil is a source of vitamin E and tocotrienols. It also contains trytophan.

I always suggest soaking this rice overnight before cooking to reduce the phytic acid load.

More about Brown Rice nutrition

Combining brown rice with sesame seed in my special recipe adds more preventive nutrition for diabetes. This combination raises the level of IP6 availability.  IP6 (inositol) boosts your  immune system, helps lower cholesterol, prevents kidney stones, helps prevent osteoporosis, prevents or reduces the complications of diabetes and sickle cell anemia, reduces risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, including heart attack and stroke.

IP-6 + Inositol Against Diabetes - Experiments with isolated murine pancreatic beta cells have shown that IP-6 stimulates these cells to secrete insulin" [Hoy et al, Journal of Biological Chemistry Vol: 278 #37 pages 35168-35171, September 12, 2003]. And Dilworth and colleagues report that IP-6 supplementation when administered in diet lowered blood glucose levels in rats. That diabetics could be benefited from IP-6 + Inositol is further supported by data from Nascimento and colleagues who report in the January 3, 2006 issue of the PNAS that in their experimental model, inositol itself may work as an antioxidant and not only prevents but also reverses many of the complications of diabetes. Thus, on one hand, IP-6 causes direct stimulation of insulin from pancreatic beta cells and inositol on the other hand helps in the prevention of complications of diabetes; combination of IP-6 + Inositol gives dual benefits. Read more here

We published an entire issue of herbalYODA Says! about diabetes some time ago,  This informative issue is available with a donation to keep our work alive and well.

Our bioSupplemente has IP6 (now RKBioBlend) and ADVENTURx, with a magnesium base, both help support health for people with diabetes.

Resources: whole health foods, Natural Healing through Natural Health
Archives of Internal Medicine 

NB:  I appreciate this comment regarding this and many other articles I write at Natural Health News.  It is from a member of a medical list to which I subscribe -

Is this really new information! We know and have known for years that whole grain (with the germ and husk) is healthier for you than one stripped of it's outer shell and germ. there is more fiber in whole grain which slows down the absorption of sugars. It blows my mind that information we have known for years gets money for research. It would be similar to studying" does putting your hand on a hot stove burn you" of course it does do we need to prove it?

One brown rice recipe I enjoy - Asian Brown Rice
Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice, rinsed and drained  2-1/2 cups water  2 tsp. fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped  1/2 tsp. Oriental sesame oil  1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. soy sauce
Cooking Instructions:
Combine all ingredients, except soy sauce, in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Boil 5 minutes. Lower heat as low as possible. Cover pan tightly and let rice simmer 45 minutes without lifting lid. After 45 minutes, turn off the heat, and  let stand covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Serve drizzled with soy sauce.

The Lethal Science of Splenda

UPDATE: 1/20/10  Truvia complaints  

UPDATE: 1/13/10
Not only is Splenda a risk to the health of people who use it, it seems as if it is a health risk to everyone because it is not cleared by water treatment systems. Note, however, that *the science proves that sucralose is broken down in the human body* and this is not reported by the writer in the article that follows.

That Splenda you're drinking will be in our water supply for awhile
By Laura Vanderkam

WASHINGTON, D.C.—People like sucralose—the artificial sweetener marketed as Splenda—because the human body *can’t break it down* and use it. That means the substance has almost no calories and makes it a popular ingredient in everything from cookies to diet sodas. Unfortunately, it turns out that modern wastewater treatment methods don’t break down Splenda either.

That, according to Smitha Ramakrishna, 17, one of 40 finalists in the 2009 Intel Science Talent Search who’ve gathered in Washington, DC, for the final judging rounds this week, means that the sweetener can accumulate in the water supply after people excrete it, potentially harming fish and other living things.

Ramakrishna, a senior at Corona del Sol High School in Chandler, Arizona, first became interested in water issues on a trip to India when she was 12. Her parents took her to an orphanage. She was appalled by the poverty—the lack of tables and chairs for eating, for instance—but what struck her most is that these children didn’t even have access to clean water. In Arizona, despite an ongoing drought, “you turn on the tap and it’s there,” she says. “You take it for granted.”

She came home and, despite her tender years, started an organization called AWAKE, dedicated to water conservation and education. Over the years, AWAKE has helped 3,000 kids in India gain access to clean water through reverse osmosis projects and rainwater harvesting systems.

By high school, however, Ramakrishna decided she wanted to focus more on the science of clean water, and less on the policy. She tried to start doing research at Arizona State University, though since she was the first high schooler her lab had ever had—and she was under age 16—this caused much controversy. “It’s almost child labor,” she says, laughing, explaining the problem. The case went all the way up to the university president’s office. But eventually she was allowed to subject sucralose to various treatments, like bacterial digestion, typically used in wastewater treatment plants. She found that sucralose resisted most of these treatments, and was only broken down into biodegradable molecules with extensive time and concentration of titanium oxide and ultraviolet light. Since few plants use these methods, that means almost all the sucralose people eat or drink winds up in the ecosystem.

It’s too soon yet to say what that will cause. Preliminary studies, Ramakrishna says, suggests that sucralose might poison fish in large enough concentrations. She plans to study this question more in college, potentially at A.S.U., where she continues to work—as do more than 10 high school students, now that she’s broken the barrier. “It’s opened a whole new door,” she says.

Originally posted 12/16/09 (2/52,000 in AOL search): Studies have shown that sucralose can:

* Cause the thymus to shrink by as much as 40% (the thymus is your immune powerhouse - it produces T cells)

* Cause enlargement of the liver and kidneys

* Reduce growth rate as much as 20%

* Cause enlargement of the large bowel area

* Reduce the amount of good bacteria in the intestines by 50%

* Increase the pH level in the intestines (a risk factor for colon cancer)

* Contribute to weight gain

* Cause aborted pregnancy low fetal body weight

* Reduce red blood cell count

Particular warning to diabetics: Researchers found that diabetic patients using sucralose showed a statistically significant increase in glycosylated hemoglobin, a marker that is used to assess glycemic control in diabetic patients. According to the FDA, sucralose "increases in glycosolation in hemoglobin imply lessening of control of diabetes."

Here's a quote from another article - Among the results in the study by Drs. Mohamed B. Abou-Donia, Eman M. El-Masry, Ali A. Abdel-Rahman, Roger E. McLendon and Susan S. Schiffman is evidence that, in the animals studied, Splenda reduces the amount of good bacteria in the intestines by 50%, increases the pH level in the intestines, contributes to increases in body weight and affects the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in the body in such a way that crucial health-related drugs could be rejected. Turner noted that the P-gp effect "could result in crucial medications used in chemotherapy for cancer patients, AIDS treatment and drugs for heart conditions being shunted back into the intestines rather than being absorbed by the body as intended."

Even limited use of diet soda is known to damage kidney function

"Two or more servings per day of artificially sweetened soda and faster kidney function decline; no relation between sugar-sweetened beverages and kidney function decline was noted.” Moreover, this association persisted even when the researchers accounted for age, obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, physical activity, calorie intake, diabetes and cigarette smoking. Clearly, artificially sweetened sodas are detrimental to kidney health."

Other studies have shown it is linked to cancer and has led to kidney calcification.

There are 35 articles with important information about sucralose and aspartame as well as toxicity of new so-called "natural" sweeteners you can read in Natural Health News.

We suggest using safe sweeteners like "Just Like Sugar".  For more information look for their logo in the right hand column of our BLOG.  Pure extract of stevia is also safe, and can be ordered from us.  You must make sure that any stevia product you purchase is pure, not combined with other harmful ingredients.

And from 2006 -

KOMO TV - Seattle, Herb Weisbaum, Published April 9, 2006

SEATTLE - An investigation by the Environmental Working Group, a well-respected consumer organization, finds high levels of benzene contamination in diet soda.

Benzene is a known cancer causer, something you do not want in your food.

The EWG based its report on data collected by the Food and Drug Administration from 1995 through 2001. It showed that 79 percent of the diet soda samples tested during this six-year period "were contaminated with benzene at levels above the federal limit for benzene in tap water."

The average benzene level found in the diet soda was 19 parts per billion, nearly 4 times higher than the tap water standard which is 5 parts per billion. No brands were identified by the FDA, so I can't tell you which pop they tested.

The Environmental Working Group is not suggesting people stop drinking soft drinks. It does want the FDA to make its test reports public and to take action when manufacturers violate the established safety standards.

The EWG did criticize the FDA for making statements that the benzene levels it found were "insignificant" and "do not suggest a safety concern."

The consumer group says benzene is more likely to be formed when soda pop is stored at warm temperatures for long periods of time.

Read more...

Prevent Amputation

Recent reports indicate that the risk of amputation for people with diabetes is increasing.

Rise in diabetes limb amputations
By Emma Wilkinson, BBC News health reporter

The number of people in England having a limb amputated because of type-two diabetes has risen dramatically, a study has shown.

Between 1996 and 2005, below-ankle amputations doubled to more than 2,000, and major amputations increased by 43%.  Read complete article

Certainly there are many factors in this equation regarding food quality, food quantity, newer medications, lack of exercise, lack of access to clean water, and lack of prevention efforts.

The circulatory problems in diabetes can be prevented and along with this, reduction and/or elimination of the risk of amputation.

For decades those of us in natural health have known that several nutrients taken in therapeutic dose will forestall this problem.

Natural vitamin E, vitamin C, RK BioBlend, B vitamins, EFAs, and herbs like non-irradiated cayenne (35,000 HU), good garlic, as well as other approaches can help you extremely well.  Using a health promoting food plan can be important too.

A Massage Technique for ulcers.

Zerose, Zevia or what ever you wish to call it, it's toxic by any name

UPDATE 2/3/10 

Sorbitol and erythritol are both sugar alcohols and should be limited by people with diabetes - or anyone interested in health. 

frequent google search = does zevia cause gas and flatulence?

Sorbitol and Diabetes

Sorbitol, a sugar alcohol, is a sugar substitute used in many foods labeled as “sugar free” or “dietetic.” It can be found in chewing gum, jellies, baked products, fruit cookies and even in some medications. It is used as a sweetener, to improve stability and/or to help retard moisture. Sorbitol is thought to be appropriate for use by people who have Diabetes Mellitus because sorbitol is converted to fructose in the liver, which is not dependent on insulin for metabolism. However, single doses of 10 to 50 grams of sorbitol may produce osmotic diarrhea, along with abdominal cramps and flatulence.

Many food products containing sorbitol are actually higher in calories than products made with sucrose because of the fat that must be added to make sorbitol soluble. Sorbitol and sucrose have the same number of calories, although sorbitol is half as sweet as sucrose.

The American Dietetic Association recommends that foods containing sorbitol be limited to portions containing 20 calories or less.

Post date 12/29/09

A few days ago, a visitor to Natural Health News wanted to know if the new sugar alcohol based sweeteners might be a cause of diarrhea.

The answer to this is that the sugar alcohol based sweeteners do cause gastrointestinal disturbances and this is one reason why we do not recommend nay products containing a blend of chemically altered stevia.

Problems with new sweetener, including ZSweet, Zevia or Zerose

Stay with the natural forms of stevia, those with no additives or those that have been chemically altered.

Get pure stevia extract from us (see right column) or look for Just Like Sugar.

Inflammation and Chronic Disease: An old idea and diabetes

The issue of inflammation is one reason why vitamin C is so helpful to people with diabetes.  The suggested dose is approximatwely 10, 000 mg in divided doses each day.

Does Inflammation Trigger Insulin Resistance and Diabetes?

Nearly 21 million Americans suffer from type 2 diabetes, and every year 800,000 more are diagnosed. Considering the growing numbers, scientists are trying to fit together the disease’s disparate puzzle pieces. People who acquire it are typically obese, suffer from chronic inflammation and are resistant to insulin, the hormone that removes sugar from the blood and stores it as energy. For years no one has known exactly how the three characteristics are related, if at all. But a handful of recent studies suggest that they are inextricably linked through the actions of specific inflammatory immune cells and a master genetic switch—and the hope is that an understanding of the relations could open the door to new therapeutic opportunities.



Complete article: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=inflammatory-clues

Diabetes and Pollution

A recent study published in Diabetes Care found a strong relationship between Type II diabetes and six pollutants:

• a PCB: hexachlorobiphenyl

• 2 dioxins: heptadioxin and OCDdioxin

• 2 pesticides: oxychlordane and trans-nonachlor, and

• a pesticide metabolite: DDE, a metabolite of DDT*

The contaminants were detectable in more than 80 percent of the study participants. The study found that participants who were in the highest-exposure category were almost 38 times more likely to have diabetes than those in the lowest-exposure category.

An obvious way to reduce the amount of pollutants ingested (some estimates have the average American taking in nearly a gallon of the chemicals each year) is to eat organically grown foods* instead of those grown conventionally with pesticides and herbicides.

*DDT is to be noted because sucralose (Splenda) is a chlorinated hydrocarbon, with some similarities to DDT in chemical structure.

* To reduce contaminants in conventional foods, order “FOOD SAFETY: CLEANSING OPTIONS”.
The second and expanded edition of this Healthy Handout© is full of tried and true, helpful information based on our more than 50 years of “natural healing through natural health”.
Order your copy today for just $3.95
With all orders placed through 31 December, 2009 ‘TOC’ will include a complimentary copy of our Healthy Food Guide. Once payment is received you’ll receive your electronic copy by email.
© 2009 TOC. All Rights Reserved.

Finally, science agrees with herbalYODA on fructose

Food sweetener could be 'fuelling' childhood diabetes, study finds


The sweetener fructose, a cheap sugar substitute found in thousands of processed foods and soft drinks, may be increasing childhood diabetes and the obesity crisis, new findings suggest.

Fructose


By Amy Willis, Daily Telegraph, 13 Dec 2009

In a study by researchers at the University of California, 16 volunteers were put on a controlled diet with high-levels of fructose – a sweetener derived from corn.

After 10 weeks, the volunteers had developed more fat cells around the heart, liver and other major organs as well as showing signs of food processing abnormalities linked to diabetes and heart disease.

Another group of volunteers, who were also on a controlled diet but without the fructose, did not show the fat cell increase or the food processing abnormalities.

Both groups put on the same amount of weight.

Children are said to be in a higher risk group as they are more likely to eat products with high-levels of sweeteners over longer periods of time.

"This is the first evidence we have that fructose increases diabetes and heart disease independently from causing simple weight gain," Kimber Stanhope, a molecular biologist who led the study, told a Sunday newspaper.