10 ms·

Fructose reprogrammes glutamine-dependent oxidative metabolism to support LPS

108 points by yawz 6y ago

tyleo 6y ago
I can hardly understand what this is saying. Is it merely that fructose consumption correlated with inflammation?
- binarymax 6y ago
  I read it as HFCs and juices are the smoking gun in obesity and type-2 diabetes.
  - vorpalhex 6y ago
    You read far past what the paper asserts.
- vorpalhex 6y ago
  > Our results have highlighted the metabolic plasticity of human monocytes in response to fructose exposure and have elucidated the metabolic mechanisms supporting fructose-induced inflammation. They are proposing a particular explanation for how fructose over-exposure can lead to inflammation.
- tp3 6y ago
  Fructose promotes triglycerides and the formation of these fatty acids, and is linked to heart disease. The amount of fructose in your diet affects your body weight. The amount of sugar in your diet also affects your body weight. These are all factors that influence the type of fatty acids in your body that are involved in fat metabolism and heart disease. For example, the amount of fructose affects how quickly you start to store fat in your body. So, if you eat enough refined sugars to get more saturated fat, you will have more of the "carbohydrate" in your body. So, to get more saturated fat, you would need to eat more fructose. So, if you eat too much refined sugar and no fiber, your body will be less able to store energy.
binarymax 6y ago
I wonder if we’ll ever see HFCs regulated like tobacco or alcohol. It’s another one of those epic scandals by huge corporations that used propaganda to sway public opinion...and now we’re left with an obesity epidemic.
- sprayk 6y ago
  If we (in the US) could end corn subsidies, use of HFCS in food production would probably fall naturally as other sweeteners were able to compete again for the cheapest sweetener.
  - nayuki 6y ago
    Sugar derived from cane and beet and honey are exactly as bad for your health as high-fructose corn syrup.
    - seunosewa 6y ago
      .. but they would be more expensive than HFCS in the US.
    - rgbrenner 6y ago
      It's easier for people to believe that HFCS is the devil than to change their habits, which include consuming 45 gallons of soda contributing to 60lbs of sugar consumed per year. The average american consumes over 300 calories per day of just sugar. 17 teaspoons per day. Just imagine scooping that out of a bag. That's never going to be ok whether it's HFCS, table sugar, or honey. Moving from HFCS to table sugar wouldn't change those numbers at all... but if they can blame HFCS it'll ease their guilt that they might be personally responsible for the health consequences of their own diet. Edit: keep in mind, this is ADDED sugars only. It doesn't include natural sugars, like those found in juice, fruits, etc. The average american consumers an incredible amount of sugar.
    - electrograv 6y ago
      So what is a good “low fructose” (or otherwise healthier) sugar that is recommended over table sugar and HFCS? I had thought honey was generally regarded as a healthier form of sugar, but now I’m a little confused, since it appears to also be fairly high in fructose (~40%) according to this article: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317728#Benefits-of-honey https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317728#Benefits-of...
vishakad 6y ago
The study is conducted in mouse and human immune cells in a dish, and the purported link is between HFCS and inflammation. Its also not clear to me if the concentrations of fructose used in the study reflect the dynamic range of concentrations of fructose in your tissues during day-to-day life.
- tp3 6y ago
  A diet high in fructose is not advisable for people with an autoimmune disease. One study did that of people with a large number of specific types of autoimmune disease that can be caused by high fructose foods. This study showed that one diet was associated with a higher incidence of these autoimmune diseases in those with large and consistent levels of fructose intake. For example, in those with low body weight you might find a higher fructose intake and thus an higher prevalence of autoimmune diseases. So, to help prevent those type of autoimmune diseases, you might need to lower your body weight and eat a low fructose diet that gives you less carbs and so on. You can find more information here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22991621 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22991621
  - electrograv 6y ago
    Question: Does this mean honey and high fructose corn syrup are approximately equally [1] unhealthy? Or is honey an anomaly/enigma [2] in this respect? [1] Apparently honey contains ~40% fructose, which about the same as “HFCS42” (a standard 42% fructose corn syrup product). [2] I ask this because I’ve read many claims that honey is among the healthiest forms of sugar, with many studies cited that show all sorts of health benefits of honey (at least versus table sugar or HFCS). Is this pseudoscientific bunk that I’ve been mislead to believe?
    - oudhmkbjx 6y ago
      This depends a great deal on the quality of honey. Most honey at the supermarket is adulterated [1]. If you can find raw, unfiltered honey, then it will contain additives such as pollen, beeswax, and parts of bees. The additives have nutritional value, yes, but the overwhelming majority of honey is the nutritional equivalent of simple syrup. Probably the "best" sugar you can use is date sugar, which is just dried, ground-up dates. But if you really want to eat healthily, then you should eat plants instead of rich foods. [1] https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store-honey-isnt-honey/ https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store...
mikewarot 6y ago
Can someone explain to me how this doesn't imply that I should completely remove fructose from the list of ingredients in food I am willing to consume?
- foxyv 6y ago
  Table sugar is entirely made up of sucrose. A polymer which is composed of one glucose molecule and one fructose molecule. Fructose is also in most fruit sugars. Honey is one of the worst offenders from a natural source. Finally corn syrup is the absolute worst. Avoiding refined sugars in general is a good thing, but removing fructose completely would require not eating any fruits or berries either. The rule of thumb is that whole fruits and berries are okay if you get the plant fiber along with the juice and don't eat too many. Fruit juice drinks and refined sugars should be avoided for sure. Especially corn syrup, honey, and maple syrup. Right now I only use refined sugar to feed yeast in baking breads. Even then, it doesn't take much. I don't drink fruit juice and only occasionally eat whole fruit as a treat. That seems to work okay so far for me, so take it as you will.
  - nradov 6y ago
    Honey appears to have some other beneficial properties. There is no real evidence that moderate honey consumption causes worse health outcomes.
    - juskrey 6y ago
      The thing with honey is that it is rare and seasonal in nature. Once a month/season/year is probably highly beneficial, daily is likely to be a slow suicide.
      - germinalphrase 6y ago
        Rare and seasonal? It literally does not spoil on any timescale that matters.
        6y ago
jaxslayerv 6y ago
https://birdtraps.com.ng/ https://birdtraps.com.ng/
akurzon 6y ago
For anyone interested in a detailed explanation of fructose metabolism (and why it's bad for you), I'd highly recommend these two talks by Robert Lustig on the subject. The first one is about how the body reacts to fructose, and the second video is a follow-up that emphasizes how fructose has contributed to the obesity epidemic in the US and elsewhere. https://youtu.be/dBnniua6-oM https://youtu.be/dBnniua6-oM https://youtu.be/ceFyF9px20Y https://youtu.be/ceFyF9px20Y
- leephillips 6y ago
  But don’t all other primates eat lots of fruit? Why are humans unique?
  - simcop2387 6y ago
    No research done, but I suspect it's because of the sheer amount that we consume, at least in the US due to the use of corn syrup in packaged foods.
    - leephillips 6y ago
      Sure, but that’s not the question. Presumably gorging on HFCS would be bad for chimps, too. I was asking about the claim that “fructose” is unhealthy.
      - oudhmkbjx 6y ago
        Food is more properly understood in totality than merely as isolated nutrients. However, it is easier to design scientific studies that focus on isolated nutrients. Whole fruit contains vitamins, minerals, fiber, and significant amounts of water. Whole fruit contains intact plant cell walls. It's very important to eat intact plant cell walls, but that's difficult to determine from studies of isolated nutrients. Because of the bulkiness caused by water and fiber in whole fruit, it's difficult to eat large amounts. For example, it takes about four oranges to make a glass of orange juice. Most people would not eat four oranges, but most people could easily drink 1 or more glasses of juice. The wild fruit eaten by primates has less sugar and more fiber compared to fruit cultivated by humans. Human cultivated foods, including plants and livestock, are much richer compared to wild plants and animals, having more fat, sugar, starch, and calories in general, than what could evolve in the absence of pest control. Humans have evolved quite differently than other primates. We have a rare ability to digest large amounts of starch, a capability shared almost exclusively with rats and pigs. It's difficult to compare our diets. Primates consume significant amounts of foliage (leaves and such). You probably should too, green leaves are very excellent for your health.
narrator 6y ago
HFCS is just about the worst food ingredient out there that is present in foods in amounts larger than a couple of milligrams. Maybe trans-fats are worse, but those have been largely phased out. In 2009, sampled foods with HFCS had detectable levels of mercury, though corn refiners claim this is fixed and due to an outdated refining process that used mercury. https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20090127/mercury-in-high-fructose-corn-syrup https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20090127/mercury-in-... That's on top of all the other negative health effects like diabetes, metabolic syndrome, etc.
TaupeRanger 6y ago
Ah, another meaningless nutrition epidemiology study done on rats and ex vivo cells in a dish that tells us precisely nothing about how the health of actual humans is affected (if at all).
- bitwize 6y ago
  It's further confirmation that the highly addictive toxic white powder pushed on the public by evil cartels we should really worry about is not cocaine, but sugar. Do you drink soda? Put sugar in your coffee? Well, the first step is admitting you have a problem.
  - ssijak 6y ago
    You dont have to be a genius to conclude that eating empty calories of anything is bad for you. But the parent poster has a point.
baxtr 6y ago
Sugar is bad, oil is bad, salt is bad, meat is bad, fruits are now bad too. What can you eat?
- wccrawford 6y ago
  Everything. It turns out that anything in excess is bad for you. Not really a big surprise, IMO.
- m463 6y ago
  Kale.
  - 60secz 6y ago
    Relatively high in oxylates. If you eat a lot, may contribute to kidney stones unless you cook it.
- aszantu 6y ago
  meat not bad :(
- theNJR 6y ago
  Only some oils are bad. Avoid oils used at fast food restaurants and in packaged goods. Olive and avocado are good. Salt isnt bad. Meat can be fine. Just be careful of its source, frequency of consumption and method of cooking. Fruit is sugar, which is bad. Focus on eating a ton of veg, locally sourced when possible, and the most expensive lean proteins you can afford.
- WhyCause 6y ago
  "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." - Michael Pollan
byerobh 6y ago
I mean the methodology is sketch and even the assumptions seem quite not right. Correct me but might as well read: "Fructose increases metabolism and degradation of poison (LPS)" Sure in the context of the particularly bad diets 98% of Americans eat (odds are you're not in this 2% hon), excess fructose might be bad. But look at the research in primates, other countries, fructose in a nutrient rich diet is plain fuel for metabolism and repair. Hell, even fertility is improved.

108 points by yawz 6y ago

tyleo 6y ago

I can hardly understand what this is saying. Is it merely that fructose consumption correlated with inflammation?

binarymax 6y ago
I read it as HFCs and juices are the smoking gun in obesity and type-2 diabetes.
- vorpalhex 6y ago
  You read far past what the paper asserts.
vorpalhex 6y ago
> Our results have highlighted the metabolic plasticity of human monocytes in response to fructose exposure and have elucidated the metabolic mechanisms supporting fructose-induced inflammation. They are proposing a particular explanation for how fructose over-exposure can lead to inflammation.
tp3 6y ago
Fructose promotes triglycerides and the formation of these fatty acids, and is linked to heart disease. The amount of fructose in your diet affects your body weight. The amount of sugar in your diet also affects your body weight. These are all factors that influence the type of fatty acids in your body that are involved in fat metabolism and heart disease. For example, the amount of fructose affects how quickly you start to store fat in your body. So, if you eat enough refined sugars to get more saturated fat, you will have more of the "carbohydrate" in your body. So, to get more saturated fat, you would need to eat more fructose. So, if you eat too much refined sugar and no fiber, your body will be less able to store energy.

binarymax 6y ago

I wonder if we’ll ever see HFCs regulated like tobacco or alcohol. It’s another one of those epic scandals by huge corporations that used propaganda to sway public opinion...and now we’re left with an obesity epidemic.

sprayk 6y ago
If we (in the US) could end corn subsidies, use of HFCS in food production would probably fall naturally as other sweeteners were able to compete again for the cheapest sweetener.
- nayuki 6y ago
  Sugar derived from cane and beet and honey are exactly as bad for your health as high-fructose corn syrup.
  - seunosewa 6y ago
    .. but they would be more expensive than HFCS in the US.
  - rgbrenner 6y ago
    It's easier for people to believe that HFCS is the devil than to change their habits, which include consuming 45 gallons of soda contributing to 60lbs of sugar consumed per year. The average american consumes over 300 calories per day of just sugar. 17 teaspoons per day. Just imagine scooping that out of a bag. That's never going to be ok whether it's HFCS, table sugar, or honey. Moving from HFCS to table sugar wouldn't change those numbers at all... but if they can blame HFCS it'll ease their guilt that they might be personally responsible for the health consequences of their own diet. Edit: keep in mind, this is ADDED sugars only. It doesn't include natural sugars, like those found in juice, fruits, etc. The average american consumers an incredible amount of sugar.
  - electrograv 6y ago
    So what is a good “low fructose” (or otherwise healthier) sugar that is recommended over table sugar and HFCS? I had thought honey was generally regarded as a healthier form of sugar, but now I’m a little confused, since it appears to also be fairly high in fructose (~40%) according to this article: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317728#Benefits-of-honey https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317728#Benefits-of...

vishakad 6y ago

The study is conducted in mouse and human immune cells in a dish, and the purported link is between HFCS and inflammation. Its also not clear to me if the concentrations of fructose used in the study reflect the dynamic range of concentrations of fructose in your tissues during day-to-day life.

tp3 6y ago
A diet high in fructose is not advisable for people with an autoimmune disease. One study did that of people with a large number of specific types of autoimmune disease that can be caused by high fructose foods. This study showed that one diet was associated with a higher incidence of these autoimmune diseases in those with large and consistent levels of fructose intake. For example, in those with low body weight you might find a higher fructose intake and thus an higher prevalence of autoimmune diseases. So, to help prevent those type of autoimmune diseases, you might need to lower your body weight and eat a low fructose diet that gives you less carbs and so on. You can find more information here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22991621 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22991621
- electrograv 6y ago
  Question: Does this mean honey and high fructose corn syrup are approximately equally [1] unhealthy? Or is honey an anomaly/enigma [2] in this respect? [1] Apparently honey contains ~40% fructose, which about the same as “HFCS42” (a standard 42% fructose corn syrup product). [2] I ask this because I’ve read many claims that honey is among the healthiest forms of sugar, with many studies cited that show all sorts of health benefits of honey (at least versus table sugar or HFCS). Is this pseudoscientific bunk that I’ve been mislead to believe?
  - oudhmkbjx 6y ago
    This depends a great deal on the quality of honey. Most honey at the supermarket is adulterated [1]. If you can find raw, unfiltered honey, then it will contain additives such as pollen, beeswax, and parts of bees. The additives have nutritional value, yes, but the overwhelming majority of honey is the nutritional equivalent of simple syrup. Probably the "best" sugar you can use is date sugar, which is just dried, ground-up dates. But if you really want to eat healthily, then you should eat plants instead of rich foods. [1] https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store-honey-isnt-honey/ https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store...

mikewarot 6y ago

Can someone explain to me how this doesn't imply that I should completely remove fructose from the list of ingredients in food I am willing to consume?

foxyv 6y ago
Table sugar is entirely made up of sucrose. A polymer which is composed of one glucose molecule and one fructose molecule. Fructose is also in most fruit sugars. Honey is one of the worst offenders from a natural source. Finally corn syrup is the absolute worst. Avoiding refined sugars in general is a good thing, but removing fructose completely would require not eating any fruits or berries either. The rule of thumb is that whole fruits and berries are okay if you get the plant fiber along with the juice and don't eat too many. Fruit juice drinks and refined sugars should be avoided for sure. Especially corn syrup, honey, and maple syrup. Right now I only use refined sugar to feed yeast in baking breads. Even then, it doesn't take much. I don't drink fruit juice and only occasionally eat whole fruit as a treat. That seems to work okay so far for me, so take it as you will.
- nradov 6y ago
  Honey appears to have some other beneficial properties. There is no real evidence that moderate honey consumption causes worse health outcomes.
  - juskrey 6y ago
    The thing with honey is that it is rare and seasonal in nature. Once a month/season/year is probably highly beneficial, daily is likely to be a slow suicide.
    - germinalphrase 6y ago
      Rare and seasonal? It literally does not spoil on any timescale that matters.
      - 6y ago

jaxslayerv 6y ago

https://birdtraps.com.ng/ https://birdtraps.com.ng/

akurzon 6y ago

For anyone interested in a detailed explanation of fructose metabolism (and why it's bad for you), I'd highly recommend these two talks by Robert Lustig on the subject. The first one is about how the body reacts to fructose, and the second video is a follow-up that emphasizes how fructose has contributed to the obesity epidemic in the US and elsewhere. https://youtu.be/dBnniua6-oM https://youtu.be/dBnniua6-oM https://youtu.be/ceFyF9px20Y https://youtu.be/ceFyF9px20Y

leephillips 6y ago
But don’t all other primates eat lots of fruit? Why are humans unique?
- simcop2387 6y ago
  No research done, but I suspect it's because of the sheer amount that we consume, at least in the US due to the use of corn syrup in packaged foods.
  - leephillips 6y ago
    Sure, but that’s not the question. Presumably gorging on HFCS would be bad for chimps, too. I was asking about the claim that “fructose” is unhealthy.
    - oudhmkbjx 6y ago
      Food is more properly understood in totality than merely as isolated nutrients. However, it is easier to design scientific studies that focus on isolated nutrients. Whole fruit contains vitamins, minerals, fiber, and significant amounts of water. Whole fruit contains intact plant cell walls. It's very important to eat intact plant cell walls, but that's difficult to determine from studies of isolated nutrients. Because of the bulkiness caused by water and fiber in whole fruit, it's difficult to eat large amounts. For example, it takes about four oranges to make a glass of orange juice. Most people would not eat four oranges, but most people could easily drink 1 or more glasses of juice. The wild fruit eaten by primates has less sugar and more fiber compared to fruit cultivated by humans. Human cultivated foods, including plants and livestock, are much richer compared to wild plants and animals, having more fat, sugar, starch, and calories in general, than what could evolve in the absence of pest control. Humans have evolved quite differently than other primates. We have a rare ability to digest large amounts of starch, a capability shared almost exclusively with rats and pigs. It's difficult to compare our diets. Primates consume significant amounts of foliage (leaves and such). You probably should too, green leaves are very excellent for your health.

narrator 6y ago

HFCS is just about the worst food ingredient out there that is present in foods in amounts larger than a couple of milligrams. Maybe trans-fats are worse, but those have been largely phased out. In 2009, sampled foods with HFCS had detectable levels of mercury, though corn refiners claim this is fixed and due to an outdated refining process that used mercury. https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20090127/mercury-in-high-fructose-corn-syrup https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20090127/mercury-in-... That's on top of all the other negative health effects like diabetes, metabolic syndrome, etc.

TaupeRanger 6y ago

Ah, another meaningless nutrition epidemiology study done on rats and ex vivo cells in a dish that tells us precisely nothing about how the health of actual humans is affected (if at all).

bitwize 6y ago
It's further confirmation that the highly addictive toxic white powder pushed on the public by evil cartels we should really worry about is not cocaine, but sugar. Do you drink soda? Put sugar in your coffee? Well, the first step is admitting you have a problem.
- ssijak 6y ago
  You dont have to be a genius to conclude that eating empty calories of anything is bad for you. But the parent poster has a point.

baxtr 6y ago

Sugar is bad, oil is bad, salt is bad, meat is bad, fruits are now bad too. What can you eat?

wccrawford 6y ago
Everything. It turns out that anything in excess is bad for you. Not really a big surprise, IMO.
m463 6y ago
Kale.
- 60secz 6y ago
  Relatively high in oxylates. If you eat a lot, may contribute to kidney stones unless you cook it.
aszantu 6y ago
meat not bad :(
theNJR 6y ago
Only some oils are bad. Avoid oils used at fast food restaurants and in packaged goods. Olive and avocado are good. Salt isnt bad. Meat can be fine. Just be careful of its source, frequency of consumption and method of cooking. Fruit is sugar, which is bad. Focus on eating a ton of veg, locally sourced when possible, and the most expensive lean proteins you can afford.
WhyCause 6y ago
"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." - Michael Pollan

byerobh 6y ago

I mean the methodology is sketch and even the assumptions seem quite not right. Correct me but might as well read: "Fructose increases metabolism and degradation of poison (LPS)" Sure in the context of the particularly bad diets 98% of Americans eat (odds are you're not in this 2% hon), excess fructose might be bad. But look at the research in primates, other countries, fructose in a nutrient rich diet is plain fuel for metabolism and repair. Hell, even fertility is improved.