Sucrose (table sugar) is a disaccharide made of 50% fructose and 50% glucose.

Sucrose is metabolized primarily in the small intestine releasing equal parts glucose and fructose.
Glucose causes insulin release and is rapidly cleared from the blood stream by insulin dependent channels.

Fructose is independent of insulin and is rapidly taken up by the liver by a first-pass effect and is preferentially stored as fat.

Glucose and Fructose have different effects on the addiction centers in the brain.

Fructose produced activation in the brain’s ‘reward circuit,’ and increased the desire for food.

Glucose does not directly activate the reward center.

American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. “Fructose and glucose: Brain reward circuits respond differently to two kinds of sugar.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 10 December 2014

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141210080734.htm

Could it be the sugar-sweetened beverage companies know that the reward system is activated by fructose, creating more compulsion to purchase?

The incidental side effect is an excessive fat accumulation in the liver, and our epidemic of NAFLD, Metabolic Syndrome, Prediabetes, Type 2 Diabetes. Could the priming of the opioid epidemic be associated?

It’s no secret that sugar is bad for you. It spoils your teeth, packs on pounds around your belly, and provides zero nutrition. Unfortunately, these are the least of sugars crimes. The biggest reason why you should stop taking sugar is that it is one of the most pro-inflammatory foods. Current Research suggests that chronic, body-wide inflammation is associated with many modern diseases, like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. So what role does a high-sugar diet play in chronic inflammation? In this article, we’ll delve into this and much more….

1. So, what is inflammation?

Inflammation is part of the body’s natural healing process.

Acute inflammation develops rapidly in response to an injury or infection. This type of inflammation tends to be good: It’s your body’s way of trying to fight off further damage while jump-starting healing. It usually lasts a few days to a few weeks.

Chronic inflammation is a long-term inflammation that occurs over months or years. It has several causes, including unhealthy lifestyle factors like diet. Over time, chronic inflammation can increase your risk of serious diseases.

Some foods, like sugar, can also cause inflammation in the body, which is normal. However, eating too many inflammatory foods may cause chronic low-grade inflammation. This can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and

2. Sugar and inflammation

People who take diets rich in refined sugar may be increasing their risk of chronic inflammation. Research suggests that when people eat and drink less sugar, inflammatory markers in their blood decrease.

A high sugar diet can have harmful effects on health, such as increasing the risk of chronic diseases, weight gain, and tooth decay. It can also result in chronic inflammation, where the body’s immune system activates, which results in damage to healthy cells.

Inflammation resulting from lifestyle factors, such as obesity, smoking, and a sedentary existence can contribute to a range of diseases. These include heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer’s.

3. Is too much-added sugar linked to inflammation?

A lot of research has been carried out on how sugar causes inflammation.  Diets high in added sugar are thought to signal the production of pro-inflammatory molecules in the body. Over time, that can create an environment of chronic, low-grade inflammation and lead to trouble in the future. Sugar also stimulates the production of free fatty acids in the liver. When the body digests these free fatty acids, the resulting compounds can trigger inflammatory processes.

Different kinds of sugar may contribute more or less to inflammation. For instance, some research has suggested that fructose may cause more inflammation than glucose. However, a systematic review found no difference in the inflammation from fructose and glucose, so more research is needed.

Also, the researchers saw no differences in inflammatory factors between the groups that consumed high fructose corn syrup vs. sucrose. The sample sizes were small, and the quality of the studies was low, so more research is necessary to confirm these findings.

Below are some of the common signs and symptoms of chronic inflammation:

• depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders
• body pain
• constant fatigue and insomnia
• constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux, and other digestive issues
• weight gain
• frequent infections

People with chronic inflammation may have an increased risk of diabetes, depression, and dementia.

Chronic inflammation in older adults may also have links with a higher risk of death. Doctors are working on how to reduce chronic inflammation.

4. How does added sugar affects your body?

When you consume excess added sugar and refined carbohydrates there will be a few changes in your body, which help explain why a diet high in sugar can lead to chronic, low-grade inflammation.

• Excess production of AGEs: Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are harmful compounds that form when protein or fat combine with sugar in the bloodstream. Too many AGEs lead to oxidative stress and inflammation.
• Increased gut permeability: Bacteria, toxins and undigested food particles can more easily move out of the gut and into the bloodstream, potentially leading to inflammation.
• Higher “bad” LDL cholesterol: Excess LDL cholesterol has been associated with higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation.
• Weight gain: A diet rich in added sugar and refined carbohydrates can lead to weight gain. Excess body fat has been linked to inflammation, partly due to insulin resistance.

It is important to note that inflammation is unlikely to be caused by sugar alone. Other factors like stress, medication, smoking, and excess fat intake can also lead to inflammation.

5. Is natural sugar linked to inflammation?

It’s important to note that there is a difference between added sugar and natural sugar. Added sugar is removed from its original source and added to foods and drinks to serve as a sweetener or increase shelf life.

Added sugar is found mostly in processed foods and drinks, though table sugar is also considered an added sugar. Other common forms include high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), sucrose, fructose, glucose, and corn sugar.

Among US adults, around 13% of total calories come from added sugar. This is high, considering that government guidelines advise that no more than 5% to 15% of calories should come from both solid fats and added sugar.

Natural sugar has not been linked to inflammation. In fact, many foods containing natural sugars, such as fruits and vegetables, maybe anti-inflammatory. Natural sugars include those naturally occurring in foods. Examples include fructose in fruit and lactose in milk and dairy products.

Consuming natural sugars should not be any cause for concern. That’s because they act very differently than added sugar when consumed and digested in the body.

Lifestyle Changes Can Reduce Inflammation

It is important to be aware of what we can do to minimize the inflammation in our bodies. Here are some simple tips to help reduce inflammation:

• Adopt a low glycemic diet: High sugar intake links to chronic inflammation, stroke risk, coronary heart disease risk, and type 2 diabetes risk. Soda, refined carbohydrates, and high fructose corn syrup are foods that can promote inflammation.
• Read food labels: If you are unsure about certain products, get into the habit of reading food labels. Look out for ingredients like sucrose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, maltose, and dextrose.
• Choose whole-grain carbs: These include oats, whole-grain pasta, brown rice, quinoa, and barley. They have lots of fiber and antioxidants, which can help control blood sugar and protect against inflammation.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables: Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, which can protect against and reduce inflammation in the body.
• Eat lots of antioxidant-rich foods: Fill your plate with foods rich in antioxidants, which naturally help counteract inflammation. These include nuts, seeds, avocados, oily fish and olive oil.
• Keep active: Regular physical activity, including both aerobic and resistance exercise, can help protect against weight gain and inflammation.
• Manage stress levels: Learning to manage stress levels through relaxation techniques and even exercise can help reduce inflammation.
• Add curcumin to food: A component in turmeric called curcumin improves several inflammatory diseases.
• Get enough fiber: Researchers have shown an association between high fiber diets and lower inflammatory factors, such as TNF-alpha and interleukin-6.
• Drink green and black teas: Scientists have associated compounds found in green and black teas with lower C-reactive protein in the blood.
• Eat more nuts: Almonds and other nuts may help to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, are pro-inflammatory states. Diabetes is a chronic inflammatory disease.
• Add fish oil to the diet: Omega-3 fatty acids positively affect lower levels of inflammatory factors in the blood, such as C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and TNF-alpha.

6. Does sugar cause inflammation?

Inflammation is a critical component of metabolic syndrome. However, chronic low-grade inflammation leads to diseases like type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, non- alcoholic liver diseases, and gout. Research suggests that eating lots of sugar can lead to chronic inflammation

In the United States, the amount of high fructose corn syrup people consume increased from 1978 to 1998 and then stabilized according to the  Nationwide Food Consumption Surveys. With greater awareness of the risks of added sugar, sugar intake in the U.S. has been declining. Nonetheless, people are still consuming too much sugar.

There are several things you can do to help fight inflammation, including exercising regularly and effectively managing your stress levels. Furthermore, cut down on processed foods and drinks, choose whole foods, and limit your intake of added sugar and refined carbohydrates.

References

1. Medical News Today (2017): Everything you need to know about inflammation. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248423.php

2. Healthline (2017): Does Sugar Cause Inflammation in the Body? Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sugar-and-inflammation

3. Medical News Today (2019): Does sugar cause inflammation in the body? Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326386.php

4. Mindbodygreene (2019): The Real Reason You Should Quit Sugar + How To Cut It Out Of Your Life For Good. Retrieved from https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-24763/the-real-reason-you-should-quit-sugar-how-to-cut-it-out-of-your-life-for-good.html

5. NCBI (2014): Chronic inflammatory disorders and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, and stroke: a population-based cohort study. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24970784

7. NCBI (2019): Chronic Inflammation. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493173/
8. Greatist (2019): Does Sugar Actually Cause Inflammation? Retrieved from https://greatist.com/health/sugar-and-inflammation

The prevalence of vending machines that stock soda in schools, particularly elementary schools, is concerning for the overall health and well-being of the country. Sodas are made largely with high fructose corn syrup. Fructose activates the dopaminergic reward system more than glucose, and high fructose corn syrup is spiked with extra fructose, far beyond what the labels suggest. Additionally, reinforced behavior, accentuated by the casino-like feel of vending machines, increases consumption in vulnerable populations, such as young children.

The ability of children, not adults, to make these choices, combined with the hedonic reward of dopamine, only increases consumption. Fructose preferentially is stored as fat through first-pass hepatic effects, leading to insulin resistance and potentially diabetes.

Background:

The per capita consumption of high fructose corn syrup — the mainstay of soft drinks and other sweetened beverages — has increased from 38.2 pounds in 1980 to 868 pounds in 1998 (Chou et al., 2004). In 1942, the annual U.S. production of soft drinks was 90 8 oz. servings per person; in 2000, it was 600 servings (Jacobson, 2005). Sodas and other sweetened beverages are readily available in our nation’s schools. Vending machines are placed in almost all of the nation’s middle and high schools (Weicha, Finkelstein, Troped, Fragala, & Peterson, 2006) and are in approximately 40 percent of our elementary schools (Fernandes, 2008). Both school vending machines and fast food restaurant use have been associated with increased intake of sugar-sweetened beverages by youth (Weicha et al, 2006). When vending machines are placed in elementary schools, black children are more likely to purchase a soft drink from these machines (39 percent) compared to white children (23 percent) (Fernandes, 2008). Could it be that these machines are becoming vendors of death?

Fructose and glucose are both sugars, but they are not the same. High-fructose corn syrup was invented in the 1970s and began to replace regular sugar around 1975. The obesity epidemic coincides with the use of HFCS, and vegetable oils and ultra-processed grain also increased in the mid-1970s. The per capita consumption of HFCS — the mainstay of soft drinks and other sweetened beverages — has increased from 38.2 pounds in 1980 to 868 pounds in 1998. In 1942, the annual U.S. production of soft drinks was 90 8-oz. servings per person; in 2000, it was 600 servings.

Like glucose, fructose is absorbed directly into your bloodstream from the small intestine. However, fructose is 20 times more likely to cause fatty liver (the key problem of insulin resistance) compared to glucose alone. In fructose feeding studies, replacing glucose with a calorically equal amount of fructose results in a documented 5x increase in de novo lipogenesis and increased liver fat by 38% within eight days. Fructose induces insulin resistance in less than eight weeks, even at typical consumption doses.

Fructose increases the hunger hormone ghrelin, which makes you feel less full after eating, increasing consumption. It also preferentially activates the reward pathways.

Glucose activates the cortex, the basal ganglia, certain other parts, but not the limbic system, and results in a sensation of serotonin-induced happiness. By contrast, fructose stimulates the limbic system and is associated with increased dopamine release in the nucleus acumens, similar to other addictive drugs (glucose does not stimulate the nucleus acumens). Fructose results in a sensation of dopamine-induced pleasure.

Ask yourself why soda companies would spike HFCS with extra fructose, at an additional cost.

There has been an intentional, unlabeled increase in manufacturing fructose, which is having an impact on weight and leading to the obesity epidemic. Soda drinkers in particular are consuming more fructose than people realize.

Manufactured high-fructose corn syrup contains a ratio of 55:45 fructose to glucose. High-fructose corn syrup was invented in the early 1970s and began to replace regular sugar in prepared foods around 1975. The onset of the obesity epidemic coincides with the use of HFCS. Current sweetened beverages made with HFCS have a fructose-to-glucose ratio of approximately 60:40, containing 50% more fructose than glucose. According to the National Institute of Health, “Several major brands appear to be produced with HFCS that is 65% fructose. Finally, the sugar profile analyses detected forms of sugar that were inconsistent with what was listed on the food labels.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20948525

The intentional and unlabeled increase in fructose seems strange. Sugar content varied widely from amounts stated on labels; on average, the drinks had 18% more fructose than expected. HFCS is supposed to be 55% fructose, as compared to the 50% in table sugar.

Most foods and drinks are supposed to be using HFCS that is 42% fructose, but many sodas and drinks were using HFCS with a far higher content. Beverages that contained 65% fructose were Coke, Pepsi, and Sprite. Beverages that contained 60% fructose were Dr. Pepper, Gatorade, and Arizona Iced Tea.

Americans drink about 50 gallons of soda every year (containing 34 pounds of sugar), and soda drinkers are consuming far more fructose than anyone realized. Fructose specifically activates the reward center. Could it be the sugar-sweetened beverage companies know that the reward system is activated by fructose, creating more compulsion to purchase? The incidental side effect is excessive fat accumulation in the liver, and our epidemic of NAFLD, metabolic syndrome, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes. Could the priming of the opioid epidemic also be associated?

Many people think that sugar is sugar, but there are different types and sugar comes in many forms. Compared with glucose, fructose plays a primary role in development of metainflammation, obesity, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes

Fructose directly increases de novo lipogenesis, promotes dyslipidemia, decreases insulin sensitivity, increases visceral adiposity, and stimulates the reward center, similar to cocaine.

What is sugar?

Because glucose is the sugar that we most often talk about and measure in diabetics, most people assume that their regular table sugar is made of glucose. However, common table sugar is actually a disaccharide, made of two monosaccharides, fructose and glucose, bonded together in a 1:1 ratio.

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contains about 5% more fructose than glucose. HFCS is manufactured by hydrolyzing corn starch into glucose, which then is isomerized into fructose. Fructose is preferred by food and soft drink manufacturers because fructose exerts a significantly increased perception of sweetness and likely because its production is subsidized.  Glucose has a sweetness index of 74 compared to sucrose of 100 or fructose of 173.

According to the CDC, over 30 million Americans have diabetes, with 1 in every 4 not knowing their diagnosis. Fructose is more strongly linked to obesity and diabetes than glucose. There is no biochemical reaction in any eukaryotic organism that requires fructose.

Metabolism of glucose and fructose

Glucose can be utilized as an energy source by almost every cell in the body. Only the liver can metabolize fructose, and it will preferentially convert fructose into fat storage.  The body has the ability to handle a small amount of fructose at a time, without adverse health consequences. Fructose does come naturally from fruits, but the absorption is slow due to the large amount of fiber.  Unfortunately, removing the fiber by juicing or destroying the fiber, as done in a smoothie, dramatically increases the speed of absorption, overwhelming the liver and sending a fructose rush to the brain.

Glucose consumption normally causes insulin release from the pancreas. Insulin acts on surface cell receptors, which allow glucose absorption into the cell for energy use or converting it to fat inside the cell.  High levels of insulin, in the presence of high levels of glucose, cause a liver enzyme [phosphofructokinase PFK] to convert glucose to fructose, which is then quickly turned into fat storage and not used for energy production.  However, if you directly ingest fructose, it bypasses the enzyme gateway and insulin is not released, and it goes straight to fat storage.

The metabolism of fructose differs from that of glucose, with liver metabolism of fructose favoring de novo lipogenesis [fat production directly from fructose].  Additionally, fructose does not stimulate insulin secretion or leptin production. Insulin normally regulates the absorption of sugar into the cells, and leptin normally notifies brain receptors that you are full.  Because insulin and leptin act as key signals in the regulation of food intake and body weight, fructose consumption causes yet further hunger and additional weight gain.  The body is rapidly storing fat, and doesn’t know it’s full.

Insulin resistance from fructose and the beginning of metabolic inflammation

Fructose can also directly trigger insulin resistance. When mice are fed with excessive amounts of fructose, they produce carbohydrate responsive element-binding protein, or ChREBP, which blocks the liver from responding to the insulin.

Fructose is 20 times more likely to cause fatty liver (the key problem of insulin resistance) compared to glucose alone.  Fructose feeding studies, replacing glucose with a calorically equal amount of fructose, document  a 5x increase in de novo lipogenesis and an increased liver fat by 38% within eight days.

[The metabolism of ethanol (alcohol) is similar to that of fructose. Nearly 80% of the ingested ethanol is delivered to the liver, and metabolized to acetaldehyde, which also stimulates de novo lipogenesis.]

Fructose overfeeding can provoke insulin resistance. Healthy subjects overfed 1000 calories per day of fructose demonstrated a 25 percent worsening of their insulin sensitivity in seven days.

Fructose induces insulin resistance even at typical consumption doses, in less than eight weeks. Subjects were fed 25 percent of their daily calories as Kool-Aid sweetened with either glucose or fructose. The fructose group increased their insulin resistance, and could be clinically classified as pre-diabetic.  The glucose group did not.

Fructose engages in the Maillard reaction, or glycation seven times faster than glucose, and  a metabolite of fructose does it 250 times faster.  We commonly measure this as HgBA1C for glucose.  The measure for fructose is fructosamine.  This glycation effect makes the cell walls sticky, and the receptors not work.  This may explain why patients with high glycation levels require more pain medication, because their receptors simply don’t work.  It also is part of the explanation how insulin resistance occurs.

Fructose and addiction

Fructose stimulates the reward center of the brain while glucose does not.  Data suggests that the fructose molecule in sugar is what it makes it addictive.

 

• Glucose activates the cortex, the basal ganglia, and certain other parts, but not the limbic system.  Glucose results in a sensation of serotonin-induced happiness. By contrast, fructose stimulates the limbic system and is associated with increased dopamine release in the nucleus acumbens, similar to other addictive drugs (glucose does not stimulate the nucleus acumbens).  Fructose results in a sensation of dopamine-induced pleasure.

Agricultural subsidies

Governmental subsidies were initially a method to subsidize farmers during the Depression and the Dust Bowl in 1933.  We had a destitute population in the American southwest, dying of famine. Most of the the food and food manufacturers were in the Northeast.  By the time it took to transport food by rail to the Southwest, it would go rancid. They had to process it: remove the fiber from the  wheat, package it in 5 pound bags, ship it to the Southwest, and then bake it locally. The subsidy was designed to make it worthwhile for the American food industry to invest in a processing and distribution system for a famine-stricken population, which made sense through World War 2.

Unfortunately, President Nixon, concerned about re-election, knew that fluctuating food prices caused political unrest.  Nixon instituted a policy of maintaining low consumer prices for food by agricultural subsidy.  Until that point, our subsidies were actually designed to pay farmers to not grow certain crops and maintain inflated prices. This policy also allowed the soil to regain nutrient after crop harvest.  His agriculture secretary, Rusty Butz, changed farming operations so soil was no longer left fallow; there was no time to restore nutrient after a crop was harvested.  It also encouraged monocropping and megafarms.  Subsidies have created an agricultural farmer dependency on governmental support.  The massive overproduction of just a few grain items resulted in a huge surplus and difficulty in long-term storage.  Distributing this slowly rotting surplus was solved through the food stamp system, creating a consumer dependency on governmental support. Unfortunately, these processed staple items are carbohydrate-rich, but have had most of their fiber stripped and fat removed to prevent rancidity,  and lack much of the soil-derived micronutrients.

Governmental subsidies and import tariffs have resulted in corn being a much more economical sweetener than sugar–a trend that is not seen in other parts of the world.  The consumption of HFCS increased by more than 1000% between 1970 and 1990, far exceeding the changes in intake of any other food or food group. HFCS now represents more than 40% of caloric sweeteners added to foods and beverages, a daily average of 132 calories per person. The effect of governmental subsidy is most evident when you compare the same soft drink in the United States to one in Mexico; for example, Coke contains corn syrup as the sweetener in the United States while it contains cane sugar in Mexico.

The per capita consumption of high fructose corn syrup — the primary sweetener in soft drinks and other sweetened beverages — has increased from 38.2 pounds in 1980 to 868 pounds in 1998 (Chou et al., 2004). In 1942, annual U.S. production of soft drinks was 90 8 oz. servings per person; in 2000, it was 600 servings (Jacobson, 2005).

Other names for sugars:

Processed foods will most likely have sugars added. Unfortunately, they can go by any number of names. While this is an extensive list, it is not complete. The more naturally you can eat your foods, the better success you will have with creating a permanent weight loss solution.

Agave Syrup

Amasake

Any name ending in “ose” or “ol” or “syrup”

Barbados Sugar

Barley Malt

Blackstrap Molasses

Black Sugar

Brown Sugar

Cane Juice or Cane Juice Crystals

Cane Sugar

Caramel or Caramel Coloring

Castor Sugar

Confectioner’s Sugar

Corn Sweetener

Corn Syrup – a manufactured syrup of corn

starch, containing varying proportions of glucose

maltose, and dextrose

Corn Syrup Solids

Crystallized Cane Juice

D-mannose

Date Sugar

Demerara

Demerara Sugar

Dehydrated Cane Juice or Dehydrated Cane

Juice Crystals

Dextran

Dextrin

Dextrine

 

Dextrose (glucose) – a simple sugar made of

only one molecule

Erythritol

Evaporated Cane Juice

Evaporated Cane Juice Sugar

Florida crystals (a trademarked name)

White or Brown Sugars

Fructose – a simple sugar refined from fruit

Fruit Juice Concentrate

Galactose or Galatactose

Glucose or Glucose Syrup

Golden Syrup

Grape Sugar

Grape Juice or Grape Sweetener

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

Honey

Hydrolysed or Hydrolyzed Starch

Hydrogenated Glucose Syrup

Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysates (HSH)

Invert Sugar

Isomalt

Levulose

Lactitol or Lactital

Lactose – a simple sugar from milk

Malt

Malt Extract

Malt Syrup

Maltodextrin

Maltose

Malitol

Maple Syrup

Molasses

Monosaccharide

Muscovado

Organic Dehydrated Cane Juice

Organic Brown Sugar

Panocha

Polysaccharide

Powdered Sugar

Raw Cane Crystals

Raw Honey

Raw Sugar