Fruit make u fat?

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/02/21/fructose-and-diet_n_1289492.html

To save folks some time, here is the synopsis from the article...

....

TORONTO - Fructose is sometimes seen as a "dietary bad guy" in the battle against obesity, but a new study suggests it doesn't seem to cause weight gain when substituted for other carbs in diets providing similar calories.

The study, published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, is a meta-analysis of 41 controlled feeding trials looking at the effect of fructose on body weight.

"It's about moderation," said lead author Dr. John Sievenpiper of St. Michael's Hospital, who conducted the study — funded primarily by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research — with other scientists in Toronto, Saskatoon and Boston.

....

Sounds like common sense!

I was too tired last night to give my own summary so I just posted the link, but I'm more awake now so....

Basically, there were studies being done that are not yet fully conclusive, but from the study done about a year ago, it appears that the amount of fructose in your diet may not play that big of a role in gaining weight so long as you eat the appropriate amount of calories for the amount of energy you burn. The study had a control group and then a group who had a diet high in fructose (not just fruits, but other sugary items also) but each group was eating the same amount of calories. And at the end of the first 4 weeks, there was no difference to weight gain for either group. However, when the fructose-fed group was given a higher amount of calories than the control group, they gained weight after just a week and a half.

Here's the part of the article, unrelated to the above-mentioned study, that I find really most informative:


"On a more important note, one must consider the effects of fructose on body composition rather than on body weight. Fructose increases the risk for fatty liver, elevated triglycerides and visceral fat. We have shown in animals that we can induce these types of changes in the setting where calories are kept equal. In other words, the effect of fructose to increase fat does occur even when calories are kept the same. This paper only addresses weight gain, and hence misses this key aspect about fructose."

Johnson also cautioned that not all sources of fructose are the same, and not all people respond the same way to it. Fructose in fruits tends to be safer because of all the nutrients and antioxidants in fruit, he said.

Fructose in sugar and high-fructose corn syrup is much less safe, he said.

"The glucose present in these sugars can accelerate fructose absorption. Likewise, the response to fructose in young healthy people is much less than in older obese subjects. Hence, pooling the studies that contain diabetics, obese, old and young, as well as subjects (who) received fructose in different ways carries the great risk for diluting out any real findings."

This debate about fruit is exactly why it is so challenging to make healthy lifestyle changes and why so many people eventually throw in the towel altogether.

Most people know that in order to lose weight and keep it off they have to give up the yummy stuff they REALLY enjoy, or eat them sparingly at the very least. It sucks, but that's the reality. However, it's one thing to forgo butter-soaked movie theater popcorn, it's quite another to be told grapes or bananas are "bad" for you too. At some point, it's just human nature for the deprivation factor to kick-in and the next thing you know you're eating fettuccine Alfredo.

I am a newbie and understand that everyone is trying to contribute,but this kind of contradictory information can be very confusing and discouraging for some. I mean, if we can't eat fruit, what the hell CAN we eat?

You absolutely do NOT have to give up the yummy stuff you really enjoy. I haven't given up any foods. There are foods that I have a lot less often because of the calories, but it's calories that matter. Lately I've had a ton of social events come up where I have no control over the menu. I just make sure I'm within my calorie goal and I lost this week in spite of all the high calorie food.

Edited because I cut myself off :P

According to the Slimming World diet, all fruit is 'free food' which means you can eat as much as you like (I suppose within reason.) along with most vegetables and lean meat.

I lost 17lb 2 years ago on this diet. I was 10 stone (140lb) and got below my target weight of 9stone (126lb)

However, as a Dental Nurse be careful eating very highly acidic foods on a daily basis as it will wreck your teeth.
Lyn (UK)

Blood sugar test...

Your clinic can do a finger prick A1c or a blood draw A1c. You don't need to fast. Your doc may order a fasting test based on the results of a non-fasting A1c. The A1c tests your average blood glucose levels for the past 3 months. It's good to have that and your lipids (fats) checked yearly, esp. if you're overweight.

If you have access to a meter, you could do a test yourself, but it will only tell you about the moment you drew your blood. Use a fresh lance, since you're dealing with blood. Here's how to interpret the numbers:

90-99 = normal
100-128 (I think it's 128) = pre-diabetic
Over 128= diabetic

Those numbers are at least close. You can't diagnose yourself from that, but if your number is high, you def want to have your doc check your A1c.

This content has been removed.

This content has been removed.