Dangers of Fructose

The Truth Behind Every Villainous Sweetener – Revealed!

By Arrianne Nellaine Hernandez*

Ironically, despite warnings from many health experts about sugar and its unspeakable health implications, Americans are still hooked on sugar – specifically high fructose corn syrup – today more than ever.

Here’s how the usual sugar consumption trend in the U.S. has exponentially doubled in the last 300 years:

• In 1700, the average American consumed about four pounds of sugar per year.·
• In 1800, the average American consumed about 18 pounds of sugar per year.
• In 1900, average individual consumption had risen to 90 pounds of sugar per year.
• In 2009, however, more than 50 percent of all Americans consume one-half pound of sugar PER DAY—translating to a whopping 180 pounds of sugar per year!

Excessive sugar intake is already alarming due to its negative effects on health and its substantial role in the widespread obesity epidemic in the country. However, there are still other toxic tastebud-satisfying sweeteners that you should watch out for, including:

High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup or HFCS is 20 times sweeter and three times cheaper than sucrose (table sugar), which is why it’s extensively used in almost every processed or pre-packaged food and beverage available in the market.

Aspartame

Stay away from the artificial sweetener aspartame, which is also referred to as NutraSweet® and Equal®. Today, it’s found in over 6,000 products, including soft drinks, gum, candy, desserts, yogurt, tabletop sweeteners, and some pharmaceuticals such as vitamins and sugar-free cough drops.

Sucralose

Best known for its marketing ploy “Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar,” more studies and even consumer reports continue to expose the bitter truth about this sucralose-based artificial sweetening brand that has spelled major health disasters for diabetics.

Agave

It’s not advisable to consider agave syrup as a natural sugar substitute, because it’s just as bad as high fructose corn syrup due to its high fructose content. If you spot labels listing agave powder or agave nectar, it’s better to avoid it than to take risks.

Ideally, the best way save your health from the dangers of fructose is to simply cut back on sweets as much as you can. But of course, this is definitely no mean feat.

Nevertheless, you can also try these equally sweet but safe sugar-free alternatives:

Organic Cane Sugar

This nutritious natural sweetener is sucrose derived from sugarcane. While there may be many versions of cane sugar available in supermarkets, opting for 100 percent certified organic is the best way to go.

Organic Raw Honey

Purchase only pure, unheated, unpasteurized, and unprocessed honey to guarantee that all the beneficial enzymes and nutritional elements are still intact. Ideally, they should look thicker, milkier, and still contain tiny particles of bee pollen, honeycomb, propolis, and other usual stuff. Check out pure honey sold in a local farmers’ market near your area.

Stevia

Also known as sugar leaf or sweet leaf, stevia is a wholesome and natural alternative that's ideal if you’re watching your weight, or if you’re maintaining your health by avoiding sugar

However, the health benefits and safety of stevia is only proven in its natural form, since commercially available and pre-packaged stevia sweeteners are most likely highly processed and exposed to various chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Also, processed stevia sweeteners may have a bitter metallic aftertaste, which is related to the way it’s been processed.

To make your own natural stevia powdered sweetener, here’s what you should do:

1. Using a bunch from your own harvest or from a local plant nursery, place stevia leaves in a large strainer and wash them under cold running water
2. Pat the leaves dry with paper towels or using a salad spinner. Allow the stevia leaves to dry for a few minutes until it becomes dry and crisp.
3. Grind the leaves using an electric blender, chopper, or a coffee grinder until you achieve a fine powdered consistency.
4. Sift again to remove hard solid particles like stems
5. Keep and store your DIY stevia powder in a clean airtight container at room temperature.

As with all natural sweeteners, consume stevia in moderation. Note that one or two teaspoons of powdered stevia is already as sweet as one cup of granulated sugar.

Additional Fructose-Free Tips

1. GO FOR 100 percent organic
2. AVOID ANYTHING CANNED - This also goes with all processed, bottled, pre-packaged, and fast foods, which are often packed with high fructose corn syrup.
3. Be a SAVVY READER OF LABELS - Be especially vigilant in spotting for toxic artificial sweeteners (aspartame, agave, high fructose corn syrup, and fructose) and even GMO ingredients (soy, corn, canola, and cotton).
4. Practice self-control and consume everything in moderation.
5. EXERCISE Regularly
   

*Arrianne Nellaine Hernandez works as a transcriptionist and web copywriter for one of the top natural health websites in the United States, Mercola.com, which has led her to appreciate the value of health even more. Growing up in a family prone to diabetes and learning the inconceivable side effects that come with, she now avoids anything that may contain high fructose corn syrup and other artificial sweeteners. Aside