David,
While I think it an excellent idea to limit fructose, I think you are going overboard.
Nutritional studies are notorious for being non-repeatable. This particular study you cited was tiny. Metabolic differences in a few of the very small number of participants could have skewed it.
There are many excellent nutrients in onions and red peppers which are very helpful for people with diabetes--Quentin Grady has just published a wonderful book about them.
(He's a long-term poster on a.s.d. who is extremely knowledgeable about nutrition.)
So how about a bit of moderation here. Stay away from junk fructose, particularly the high fructose corn syrup. Go easy on sugary fruit because it raises blood sugar. But 2 grams per serving? Come on!
I don't use fructose in recipes, I also avoid fruits and veggies high in fructose. I am extremely sensative to sugar, simple carbs and most grains. I eat oats and barley. I sweeten with stevia. I eat 3 oz of lean protein with every meal and veggies. I eat berries once a day. I have lost 40 lbs and my b/s runs from 90 to 125. I found every diet I have ever tried was too high in carbs and I did not lose weight and could not keep good, consistant b/s numbers. That included the ADA exchange list food plan and gastric bypass surgery. I am basically eating in the Zone. Some non-saturated fats. It works for me. I have searched for my solution to maintain a healthy weight for 40 years. My body is very reluctant to give up the contents of my fat cells and fills them if I even look at a candy bar! Thanks for letting me share. Namaste...Laurie
Dear Laurie,
You are really listening to your body and doing great! Your final comment triggered something in me. Now that I have finally controlled my weight (first by using Byetta and now on a very low-carb diet), I find that I too will gain it back with the slightest indulgence. As my good friend John says, "eternal vigilance!"
David
If something like tomato has more fructose per cup than you'd like, why not
just eat a half cup? Or a quarter cup? We can't give up everything
pleasurable.
I think the fructose in jerusalem artichokes
is mostly in the form of
inulin, in which the fructose is linked by bonds
that human enzymes don't
break, so it acts like a
fiber.
David,
While I understand the point of your article entirely, I also disagree with it. Do you have any evidence to show that AGEs actually cause aging when they come from natural fructose in fruit? What about all of the other excellent nutrients in plants (containing fructose) that work as antioxidants and more? What about the fiber? It may be possible that all of the good things in fruits and vegetables may offset any damage created by a higher intake of naturally-occurring fructose. While I totally agree that we should minimize our intake of manufactured high-fructose corn syrups and large quantities of high GI fruits, I do not agree with cutting out the rest.
Sheri Colberg, PhD
Dear Sheri,
I appreciate your comment. The evidence that AGEs can come from natural fructose in fruit is, to the best of my knowledge, limited to the small study that you can find online at http://www.biomed.cas.cz/physiolres/pdf/51/51_313.pdf
But what about fiber? Actually, fruit provides surprisingly little fiber. Vegetables are much better at providing fiber.
I did feel strange about cutting out fruit from my diet (except avocados) -- until I read Dr. Bernstein's recommendation to his patients. He himself hasn't eaten fruit for years!
David
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Folks who like fruits and veggies high in fructose might consider supplementing L-carnosine. Googling "glycation carnosine" will get you a bunch of info.
The Wikipedia article on L-carnosine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L-carnosine) cites these studies:
Carnosine: a versatile antioxidant and antiglycating agent http://sageke.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/2005/18/pe12?view=abstract
Carnosine and its constituents inhibit glycation of low-density lipoproteins that promotes foam cell formation in vitro
http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0014579307001305