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Glucose-fructose syrup is commonly added to foods as a sweetener in order to not only add sweetness but also make the product more attractive by improving texture, flavor and color. However, excessive consumption of products containing glucose-fructose syrup poses a he alth risk. Why is glucose-fructose syrup harmful?

Glucose-fructose syrupis a sweetener obtained in a technological process mainly from corn starch. It consists, as the name suggests, of two simple sugars: glucose and fructose. It has no nutritional value, just like sucrose is a source of empty calories.

Contents:

  1. Glucose-fructose syrup - what is it?
  2. Glucose-fructose syrup and he alth
  3. Glucose-fructose syrup and the obesity epidemic
  4. Glucose-fructose syrup - how to eliminate it from your diet?
  5. Fructose - is it he althy?

Glucose-fructose syrup - what is it?

Glucose-fructose syrup is obtained industrially mainly from corn starch, less often from potato or wheat starch. It consists of simple sugars: 55% is glucose, 42% fructose, and the remaining 3% is the addition of other sugars. It is colorless and has a liquid form, which makes it easy to use during technological processes. The syrup is characterized by low viscosity and high sweetening power, which makes it easier to pour, transport and dose.

Glucose-fructose syrup is commonly used in the food industry to sweeten carbonated and non-carbonated beverages. It is also added to alcoholic beverages (flavored beers, liqueurs), jams, jellies, confectionery and bakery products. It is also used to sweeten fermented milk drinks, milk desserts, ice cream and cheese. In addition, the syrup is used in the production of soups, ketchups, pickles and herring. It can even be found in… minced meat.

Such a wide use of glucose-fructose syrup results from its technological properties and low price compared to other sweeteners. The addition of glucose-fructose syrup improves the sensory features of the product, i.e. the taste, smell, texture, color and aroma, e.g.adding syrup to soft drinks makes the drink more refreshing, and this feature lasts longer during storage.

Glucose-fructose syrup and he alth

The he alth effect of glucose-fructose syrup is due to the presence of fructose in the syrup. Consuming larger amounts of this simple sugar leads to the disturbance of the feeling of hunger and satiety, because fructose does not stimulate the secretion of hormones regulating the work of the hunger and satiety center: insulin and leptin. This leads to an increase in appetite, an increase in food intake and the accumulation of adipose tissue in the body, and thus the development of obesity.

Regular consumption of glucose-fructose syrups has an impact on the body's carbohydrate metabolism. It causes rapid changes in insulin and blood glucose levels, leads to the development of tissue insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Studies show that excessive consumption of glucose-fructose syrups increases the concentration of triglycerides in the blood, i.e. fatty acids, the excess of which contributes to the development of atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, heart attacks, kidney diseases, fatty liver.

It has also been suggested that excessive consumption of high fructose syrups disturbs copper metabolism and leads to anemia, weakening of blood vessels, heart, liver and bones. In addition, fructose increases the concentration of lactic acid in the body and reduces immunity.

Important

One serving (250 g) of the product sweetened with glucose-fructose syrup provides the daily allowable amount of simple sugars and covers 20% of the daily carbohydrate intake.

Glucose-fructose syrup and the obesity epidemic

Glucose-fructose syrup is increasingly accused of theobesity epidemic . Is it actually more unhe althy than regular sugar, also consumed in large amounts? Glucose-fructose syrup, similarly to sucrose (i.e. sugar commonly used to sweeten), consists of two simple sugars: glucose and fructose, but the syrup contains more fructose and these sugars are in free form, which means that they are metabolized faster in the body. The main culprit for the adverse effects is excess fructose, which is metabolized much faster than glucose, bypassing the glycolysis step. Fructose is metabolized in the liver and its excessive amounts cause a liver response in the form of increased synthesis of fatty acids (triglycerides) and increased production of VLDL (Very Low Density Lipoprotein) lipoproteins, which transport fat to adipose tissue, which in turn leads to an increase inthe amount of adipose tissue and the development of obesity.

But small amounts of fructose from natural products, incl. fruit, have a beneficial effect: they increase glucose uptake by the liver and increase glycogen synthesis.

However, in studies comparing the effect of sucrose and glucose-fructose syrup on carbohydrate metabolism and the concentration of hormones carried out among women with a normal body weight, no differences were found in the concentration of insulin, leptin and ghrelin, and in the appetite after consuming syrup and sucrose. Other studies show that the type of sweetener you eat has no effect on weight gain or loss. Both a low-calorie diet with 10% of the energy value of glucose-fructose syrup and a diet with sucrose 10% of the energy value of the diet resulted in a similar reduction in body weight. Therefore, it was found that sucrose and glucose-fructose syrup have a similar effect on the body.

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Author: Time S.A

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Glucose-fructose syrup - how to eliminate it from your diet?

  • Read food labels carefully! Choose products with the shortest list of ingredients on the label, thanks to which you will buy less processed products.
  • Choose natural yoghurts and compose them yourself with fruit yoghurts, adding your favorite fruit, fruit juices.
  • Avoid carbonated and non-carbonated drinks, flavored waters.
  • Choose mineral and spring water, drink freshly squeezed juices. You can add squeezed fruit juices, lemon juice, mint to the water.
  • Eat fresh fruit.

Fructose - is it he althy?

Is fructose he althy? These and other questions are answered by dietitian Jacek Bilczyński.

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