In my last two blogs, I have outlined the problem of fast food restaurants with more than 20 outlets in Ontario being compelled to list the caloric value of all menu items. This is required in many states in the USA and I presume elsewhere. The problem is that not all calories are equal and I have focused special attention on glucose and fructose. These two sugars have the same caloric value but are metabolized very differently. Glucose is essential to provide energy for all our tissues but most importantly for our brains and because of this the level of glucose in our blood is kept very constant.
Fructose on the other hand cannot be used to maintain blood glucose levels and is metabolized in the liver in some respects like a toxic molecule. Listing it’s caloric value is, therefore, quite misleading.
In his comment on my previous blog, Jan Miernyk states that he agrees entirely with the biochemistry I described for fructose and glucose. This is very reassuring from a highly respected biochemist like him. However, he disagrees with my contention that, when people know about this, they will respond in an effective manner, i.e. by limiting the amount of fructose in their diet.
As an example of the general public not taking note of health issues, he sites the fact that people still smoke even though there is no doubt that smoking is very dangerous to one’s health. I agree entirely with this. Even someone with an elementary school education should know this and decide never to take up the habit. However, not too long ago, the majority of men smoked. Now in Canada and, I believe, in the USA only 20% of the population smokes. Unfortunately, smoking has increased in women and they are now demonstrating the impact on their health of this revolting habit. However, warnings about smoking have had a significant effect in reducing its prevalence and one can only hope the same is true of warnings about fructose.
To be clear, I am not talking about total exclusion of sugar or even high fructose corn syrup from ones diet. It is just that many children eat very large amounts of these products and that is what leads to trouble. I was fortunate, in one aspect, of growing up during the Second World War. In England, sugar was rationed during the war and even for many years after the war and we could not eat excessive amounts of it. My mother bought me 2 oz (64g) of candies every Friday and that was it for the week.
One cannot help but sympathize with the public about food scares. For many years they have been warned about the dangers of saturated fats. Now a new review has indicated that there is no correlation between the amount of saturated fat in the diet and cardiovascular problems. Nor was there any benefit from eating polyunsaturated fats. The only fats that appeared to have a negative correlation were trans fats. (Ann Intern Med. 2014;160(6):398-406-406.) Having made a great effort to only eat low fat diets the public is now told they were wasting their time.
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To repeat , I have no problem with the consumption of sugar or even fructose. It is the excessive amounts that some people, especially children consume.
An excellent review of changes in advice about food by Joanna Blythman
appears in the Guardian web site on March 28th
Above feature image credit to bondingwithfood.wordpress.com
