Sugar : (Part 11) Brain, Joints, Liver

Right now, away from Malaysia, today is the 2nd day of the month, a whole new year, hopefully, it will be a good year ahead. Did all of you celebrate New Year's eve? I hope you guys had a good one. Today, I'm writing about the adverse affects of sugar, particularly fructose, and how it could impair our brain, joints and liver.

You guys must be thinking, how could source of energy such as sugar could impair or develop adverse effects on our brain? Yeah, same goes to how something which make our food taste so good kill and fry our brain cells, MSG. Today, hopefully it is a good day and I'm expecting a sunny cooling weather. I hope everyone is doing good and healthy. I hope you guys don't feel bored reading such a long series of post regarding sugar. I mean, you guys must be thinking, how much can a person write about sugar, right? Let's find out.

Consuming small amounts of fructose, may actually sharpen your wits and perk up your brain cells. But research suggests that steady high fructose foods and beverages could actually provide the opposite affect. As you know, consuming fructose causes the body to produce uric acid. Uric acid can act as an antioxidant, meaning that it protects body tissue from destructive oxidative stress, including your brain. Studies found that people with elevated uric acid tended to score poorly on tests of cognitive skills.

Having high uric acid levels in the blood may interfere with mental clarity and processing speed in several ways. A healthy brain requires steady and plentiful blood flow. Rising uric acid levels can disrupt circulation by making blood vessels constrict, raising blood pressure. Studies shown that people with hypertension, are more likely to develop dementia, or loss of intellectual ability caused by damage to brain cells. Studies also show that fructose and uric acid injure small blood vessels as well.

Now, let's focus on joints problems associated with fructose. Eating a high fructose diet increases the risk for gout by elevating uric acid levels. The prime victims are men over age of 40s. Some people develop gout by age of 20's and 30's. In fact, gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis among males. Women under age 50, rarely develop this condition, though their risk rises after menopause, and this suggests that hormones provide some protection. In addition to the big toe, gout may produce swelling and inflammation in the elbows, wrists, fingers, knees and ankles. 

For centuries, doctors suspected that consuming certain foods and beverages could trigger this agonizing form of arthritis, but they primarily blamed fatty meats and alcohol. It was known for more then half century ago, that fructose raises uric acid, which can form painful crystals in the joints.

In fact, studies found that by eating an apple or orange a day, is 60 percent more likely to develop gout then people who rarely eats fruits. I'm not telling all of you to give up eating fruits of course, but do aware of the 'safety limit' of daily fructose consumption. The statistic illustrates the powerful influence of fructose on the risk for gout. If any of you love eating fruits, try not to consume more then once a day, and choosing a low glycemic fruit such as avocado would be a better choice. Avocado has a much lower sugar content then most fruits and filled with rich healthy fats.

Next, let's move on to liver impact with fructose consumption. There is a common liver disease primarily affects people who drink too much of alcohol. There is a condition called non alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD). This disease is more common with people who are overweight or obese.

NAFLD is a general term for several conditions caused by the accumulation of fat in the liver cells. NAFLD is most common in middle aged people who are overweight and have other conditions of metabolic syndrome, such as elevated triglycerides and insulin resistance. In fact, developing metabolic syndrome results in a 30-fold increased risk for NAFLD.

Patients with NAFLD can develop scarring of the liver that worsens over time. It it worsens or prolongs, patients will develop cirrhosis, which can result in liver failure and death. How does liver transplant sounds to you? Scary? Then stop drinking alcohol folks.

One simple experiment, feed fructose to laboratory rats, and you notice their liver cells filled up with triglycerides. Before long, the rats develop fatty liver. Comparing people with other forms of liver disease, patients who have NAFLD tend to consume large amounts of fructose, especially from soft drinks. It is discovered that these patients' liver cells have high levels of fructose enzymes, not surprising since a high fructose diet stimulates these important enzymes.

There is also evidence that raising levels of fructose enzymes by consuming too much sugar and HFCS causes liver damage. As you recall, I did mentioned in earlier post that cells can become depleted of ATP, also means cell shock and they become sickly and weak.

If you watch documentary SuperSize Me, the filmmaker gained 25 pounds in a month period, 30 days of McDonalds. Blood tests showed that his liver enzymes had soared, a sure sign that the organ was undergoing extreme stress, nutritional stress that is, as if he was drinking excessive amount of alcohol. Failing his liver enzyme test suggest that this filmmaker was well on his way to a full blown fatty liver, which may progress over time to cirrhosis. Even though he was consuming massive amounts of trans fat, saturated fat and sodium every day, but it was most likely the extra large cups of fructose rich soda that were the cause of the liver problems and posed swiftest and most serious threat to this filmmaker well being.

So guys and girls, to all the fast food addicts out there, do take note, seriously, unless you don't mind having liver failure and probably death. I know you can't say NO to fast foods, but at least try?