Blood pressure monitor
The reputation of fructose, the sugar that occurs naturally in fruit, has been up and down of late – at least as far as healthy eating is concerned. For a while it was believed to be healthier than ordinary sugar then more recently, high levels of consumption were linked to hypertension and, consequently, heart disease and stroke. Now the latest finding says there is no clear link between fructose consumption over a long period of time and an increase in blood pressure. It seems the link relates to calorie intake, rather than the fructose itself.
Researchers from St Michael’s Hospital, Toronto assessed two different types of fructose – natural and crystalline. Naturally-occurring fructose, found in fruits and, to a lesser extent, vegetables, is identical chemically-speaking to that in glucose-fructose; the crystalline form is processed and has had water and trace minerals added to it. The researchers then analysed the results from 13 studies on the effects of eating fructose for more than a week, checking blood pressure levels and taking into account overall calorie intake. Study participants ate an average of 79g fructose every day for about four weeks and were found not to have any significant rise in blood pressure levels as a result of that. In fact, the researchers even noted a decrease in diastolic blood pressure.
This, they say, indicates that it is not the fructose itself that causes problems but rather the amount of calories a person consumes. “Fructose may be natural but eating an excess of it – as with any sugar – will increase your risk of disease,” says registered nutritionist Dr Carina Norris. “It is a healthier option if it’s eaten in its original form – in an apple, an orange or banana, for example – but that’s because you also get healthy fibre and other vitamins that way. On its own, fructose is a sugar and provides you with calories but not much else.”