FaceBook Post by Dr. Palevsky

http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-too-much-fructose-in-hfcs-soda-20101026,0,6294691.story

Dr. Palevsky's comments: The dangers of high fructose corn syrup and fructose containing products have yet to be fully delineated, although the efforts to squelch the growing scientific evidence re: its dangers continue to soar. Suffice it to say, not only do high fructose corn syrup and fructose containing products contribute to obesity, but they also hurt our health by contributing to elevated levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides, and increase our chances of developing Type II diabetes.....Best to avoid as much as possible. 

See info below….

Persistent Increase of Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome Among US adults: NHANES III to NHANES 1999-2006

1. . Arupendra Mozumdar, Ph.D. and
2.  . Gary Liguori, Ph.D. (Gary.Liguori@ndsu.edu)

+ Author Affiliations

1.  . Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND

Abstract

Objective– To compare the prevalence in metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) between 1988-1994 and 1999-2006 among US adults of different race or ethnicity.

Research Design and Methods– Analysis of data on 6423 adult men and non-pregnant women aged >=20 years from Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-III) and 6962 participants from the combined NHANES 1999-2006 were done. The revised National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel-III definition was used to calculate MetSyn.

Results– Both the unadjusted prevalence (27.9+/−1.1% to 34.1+/−0.8%, P <0.001) and age-adjusted prevalence (29.2+/−1.0% to 34.2+/−0.7, P <0.001) increased from NHANES-III to NHANES 1999-2006, respectively. Although MetSyn prevalence was highest in Mexican Americans, significant increases in prevalence occurred among non-Hispanic Whites and non-Hispanic Blacks, especially among younger women.

Conclusions– The persistent increase of MetSyn among US adults is a serious public health concern as it raises the likelihood of increased prevalence of type-2 diabetes.

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Sugar-sweetened drink’s diabetes link ‘clear and consistent’: Meta-analysis

By Nathan Gray, 29-Oct-2010

Related topics: Sweeteners (intense, bulk, polyols)

Regular consumption of soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with a clear and consistently greater risk of metabolic syndrome and type-2 diabetes, according to a meta-analysis of 11 published studies.

The findings, published in Diabetes Care, appear to support claims that intake of sugary beverages should be limited in order to reduce risk of these conditions.

“Findings from our meta-analyses show a clear link between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and risk of metabolic syndrome and type2 diabetes,” wrote the researchers, led by Vasanti Malik a research fellow in the Department of Nutrition, at the Harvard School of Public Health.

"Many previous studies have examined the relationship between sugar-sweetened beverages and risk of diabetes, and most have found positive associations but our study, which is a pooled analysis of the available studies, provides an overall picture of the magnitude of risk and the consistency of the evidence," said Malik.

High consumption

Sugar-sweetened beverages are made up of energy-containing sweeteners such as sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, or fruit juice concentrates, all of which, the authors noted, have essentially similar metabolic effects. The consumption of such beverages, which include soft drinks, fruit drinks, iced tea, and energy and vitamin water drinks, has risen globally.

According to recent research published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, in the U.S. between the late 1970s and 2006 the per capita consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages more than doubled, from 64.4 to 141.7 kcal per day. (doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.12.022 )

Previous research from prospective studies has shown consistent positive associations between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and weight gain and obesity, as well as linking such beverages to other health risks high blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.

However, evidence also suggests that habitual sugar-sweetened beverages consumption is associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome and type-2 diabetes; however the role of sugar-sweetened beverages in the development of such chronic metabolic diseases has not been quantitatively reviewed.

The researchers conducted an in depth literature search for prospective cohort studies of sugar-sweetened beverage intake and risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. They identified 11 studies (three for metabolic syndrome and eight for type 2 diabetes), which provided data from almost 350,000 people, for inclusion in a meta-analysis comparing sugar-sweetened beverage intake to risk of metabolic syndrome and type-2 diabetes.

Greater risks

People with high intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages (consuming between one and two servings per day) were found to have a 20 per cent greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome than those in the lowest category of intake (none, or less than one serving per month).

For type 2 diabetes, people in the intake highest category of intake had a 26 per cent greater risk of developing type-2 diabetes than the lowest intake category.

The researchers noted that, in general, larger studies with longer durations of follow-up tended to show stronger associations between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and the risk of diabetes.

Significant association

The researchers stated that the meta-analysis “has demonstrated that higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is significantly associated with development of metabolic syndrome and type-2 diabetes”

“These data provide empirical evidence that intake of sugar-sweetened beverages should be limited to reduce obesity-related risk of chronic metabolic diseases,” they added.

The researchers added that although sugar-sweetened beverages increase the risk of metabolic syndrome and type-2 diabetes, in part due to their contribution towards weight gain, there may be other mechanisms involved.

Such mechanisms may include the high levels of easily absorbed added sugars in drinks contributing to a high dietary glycemic load, which is known to induce glucose intolerance and insulin resistance.

"People should limit how much sugar-sweetened beverages they drink and replace them with healthy alternatives, such as water, to reduce risk of diabetes as well as obesity, gout, tooth decay, and cardiovascular disease," said Malik.

Wrong conclusion?

Commenting on the research Richard Laming from the British Soft Drinks Association, stated that the known major risk factors for type 2 diabetes were obesity and low physical activity.

“The study does not properly take into account the role that obesity is known to play and therefore it is wrong to conclude that soft drinks, rather than obesity, are a causal factor for type 2 diabetes,” said Laming.

“Obesity itself is the result of an imbalance between calorie intake from food and drink and energy expended ... The way to tackle obesity is to bring these two into balance – Soft drinks can play a role in this,” he added.

Source: Diabetes Care
Volume 33, Number 11, Pages 2477–2483, doi: 10.2337/dc10-1079
“Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes: A meta-analysis”
Authors: V.S. Malik, B.M. Popkin, G.A. Bray, J.P. Després, W.C. Willet, F.B. Hu

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes

A meta-analysis

1.  . Vasanti S. Malik, SCD¹,
2.  . Barry M. Popkin, PHD²,
3.  . George A. Bray, MD³,
4.  . Jean-Pierre Després, PHD⁴,
5.  . Walter C. Willett, MD, DRPH¹,⁵ and
6.  . Frank B. Hu, MD, PHD¹,⁵

+ Author Affiliations

1.  ^{. 1}Departments of Nutrition and Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts;
2.  ^{. 2}Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina;
3.  ^{. 3}Dietary Obesity Laboratory, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana;
4.  ^{. 4}Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec, Québec City, Québec, Canada;
5.  ^{. 5}Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

1.  . Corresponding author: Frank B. Hu, frank.hu@channing.harvard.edu.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), which include soft drinks, fruit drinks, iced tea, and energy and vitamin water drinks has risen across the globe. Regular consumption of SSBs has been associated with weight gain and risk of overweight and obesity, but the role of SSBs in the development of related chronic metabolic diseases, such as metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, has not been quantitatively reviewed.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We searched the MEDLINE database up to May 2010 for prospective cohort studies of SSB intake and risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. We identified 11 studies (three for metabolic syndrome and eight for type 2 diabetes) for inclusion in a random-effects meta-analysis comparing SSB intake in the highest to lowest quantiles in relation to risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

RESULTS Based on data from these studies, including 310,819 participants and 15,043 cases of type 2 diabetes, individuals in the highest quantile of SSB intake (most often 1–2 servings/day) had a 26% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those in the lowest quantile (none or <1 serving/month) (relative risk [RR] 1.26 [95% CI 1.12–1.41]). Among studies evaluating metabolic syndrome, including 19,431 participants and 5,803 cases, the pooled RR was 1.20 [1.02–1.42].

CONCLUSIONS In addition to weight gain, higher consumption of SSBs is associated with development of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. These data provide empirical evidence that intake of SSBs should be limited to reduce obesity-related risk of chronic metabolic diseases.