Why Fruit Is So Dangerous for You by Joan Kent, PhD

Fructose is the sugar found in fruits. It’s a health-damaging sugar, arguably the most damaging. To illustrate, everyone knows sucrose is junk; no one would argue otherwise. Sucrose is half fructose and half glucose.

 

Researchers know that what makes sucrose junk is the fructose it contains, not the glucose. No conflicting opinions appear in the science lit.

 

So what makes fructose so bad? Here is a brief list, in no particular order.

 

Fructose raises triglycerides (blood fats). High triglycerides are an independent risk factor for heart disease.

 

Fructose raises both total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol.

 

Fructose decreases LDL particle size, making it denser. Small, dense LDL particles are more likely to form plaques inside the arteries, another risk factor for heart disease.

 

Fructose can cause cavities.

 

Fructose can be addictive for those who are susceptible. Yes.

 

Saving the Worst for Last?

 

High consumption of fructose may lead to insulin resistance. It can do that by actually changing muscle fibers from Type 1, which is very responsive to insulin, to Type 2, which is not.

 

Insulin resistance is an underlying factor in a number of serious disease conditions, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and several types of cancer, including breast cancer.

 

If you were wondering why my last post was “anti-fruit”, I hope the info in this post has explained that. My recommendation is to emphasize vegetables; eat lots of them. And limit fruit to 1 to 2 servings per day. A serving is 1 medium-size fruit or ½ cup of berries.

 

The good news is insulin resistance and associated conditions are reversible with food. If you’d like some help, perfect! That’s what I do. Just visit LastResortNutrition.com and grab your free Make Me Healthy Consult. Discover how easy it is to make a few food changes that can change your life.

 

Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar:  7 Simple Steps to Defeat Sugar Addiction, Lift Your Mood, and Transform Your Health.