As most people know, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a cheap sweetener used in everything from pop to ketchup to snack bars. It has long been shamed as being the ingredient in the epidemic of obesity. After the most recent study by the Journal of the American Medical Association led by Kathleen Page, those initial findings may be right.
The study looked at the effects of fructose on the hypothalamus using fMRIs (functional magnetic resonance imaging). The hypothalamus regulates many hunger related signals. Participants received 300 ml of a cherry flavored drink sweetened with equivalent amounts of either glucose or HFCS. The subjects showed substantial differences in hypothalamic activity. Glucose lowered the amount of activity where as fructose prompted a spike. The subjects were also given a survey on the feeling of fullness/hunger following the drinks. Partipants who consumed the glucose flavored drink said they were much more satiated following the glucose drink.
Though glucose and fructose look similar, fructose requires less insulin than glucose. The release of insulin into the blood stream is another signal to the body. Fructose also decreases the amount of ghrelin (a hunger signaling hormone) circulating in the blood stream.
The take home message--- check the labels of the food you put in your body. As a general rule of thumb you can say that foods with HFCS are highly processed and generally junk. Stay away from them. The best bet is to shop on the outside of the grocery isle. Fruits, veggies, meat, grains. The only thing you may have to venture to the center for is the grains. Good luck and happy foraging. If you have questions or need help reaching your weight loss goals, please check us out at www.foxfitnessbjj.com. We are more than willing to have one our fitness experts to help you on your path to healthy living.
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