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Sunday, November, 22, 2009
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Shedding Light on the Co-morbidities of DiabetesThe Complications of Having Rheumatoid Arthritis and Diabetes

Fructose and High Blood Pressure

David Mendosa
David Mendosa
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Medical Journalist Living with Diabetes and Author of Fitness and Photography for Fun, www.mendosa.com/fitnessblog

After earning a B.A. with honors from the University of California,...

David Mendosa

Sunday, November 08, 2009
View All of David Mendosa's Posts
If you have high blood pressure, your doctor has probably told you a dozen times to cut way back on salt (sodium). But this works only for people who have a "salt-sensitive phenotype," which results from both genetic makeup and environmental influences.New preliminary research offers another strategy...
  1. Untitled Comment
    Gretchen Becker
    Sunday, November 08, 2009 at 08:18 PM

    One thing that annoys me is that talking can raise BP. Yet every nurse I've ever had has tried to start a conversation before she takes the BP (never had a male nurse). I don't answer, but I'm sure the annoyance at getting the question raises the BP.

     

    I've never had anyone give me time to sit quietly for 5 minutes as they say you're supposed to.

    Reply
    re: Untitled Comment
    David Mendosa
    Sunday, November 08, 2009 at 10:21 PM

    Dear Gretchen,

     

    When I remind them of the 5 minute rule, the nurses ruefully shut up and wait. We have to insist!

     

    Best regards,

     

    David

    Reply
    re: re: Untitled Comment
    Gretchen Becker
    Monday, November 09, 2009 at 09:12 AM

    For me the problem is that insisting would make my BP go up.

    Reply
    re: re: re: Untitled Comment
    frankenduf
    Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 04:08 PM
    this is pretty funny- for some, thinking of whiskers on kittens helps
    Reply
  2. fructose
    Helen Coxe
    Monday, November 09, 2009 at 10:32 AM

    David, would you clarify something for me?  Is fructose the sugar in fresh fruit?  If I have hypertension, should I not eat fruit?

    Reply
    re: fructose
    David Mendosa
    Monday, November 09, 2009 at 11:19 AM

    Dear Helen,

     

    Great question! The answer to the first one is easy. Yes, fructose is indeed the sugar in fresh fruit.

     

    The answer to the second one is more of a judgement call. But the top two experts that I know of on the dangers of fructose say that the benefits of eating fruit outweight the costs. They are Robert Lustig, M.D., and John P. Bantle, M.D., and I have written about there work and recommendations here in several articles. They say that the nutrients and fiber in fruit makes their digestion of the small amounts of fructose in fruit an order of magnitude different from consuming added fructose. But they are, of course, talking about other dangers of fruit and not specifically about high blood pressure.

     

    Dr. Jalal, whose work I reviewed in this article, researched the dangers of added fructose -- not any supposed dangers of eating fruit.

     

    Note that not all fruit has fructose or any other sugar. Avocados don't have any. Green peppers, lemons, and limes have little or none.

     

    Those are the fruits that Dr. Richard K. Bernstein allows on his very low-carb diet. Fructose is, of course, carbohydrate whether it is added or in fruit. Personally, I am following a very low-carb diet and generally follow Dr. Bernstein's advice. But sometimes I do eat a little fruit, especially organically grown berries (if we are to eat any organically grown food -- and I eat it when I can get it -- berries must come at the top of the list, because otherwise growers use so many pesticides on them).

     

    The bottom line is if you avoid all or essentially all added fructose, such as in the foods that Dr. Jalal researched, I don't think that we have any evidence to suggest avoiding fruit.

     

    Best regards,

     

    David

    Reply
    re: re: fructose
    Helen Coxe
    Monday, November 09, 2009 at 02:07 PM

    Thank you so much for clarifying that for me.  It's kind of what I thought, but having you tell me makes me feel better about it.  You realize you have become the "diabetes guru" for thousands of us.Smile

    Reply
    re: re: fructose
    frankenduf
    Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 04:15 PM

    i feel that this answer is murky- while you are correct in pointing out the link between Na sensitivity and HTN, the better indicator is potassium/Na ratio- that is, the higher the ratio in the diet, the lower the BP- i think that potassium has been the stepchild in public education on HTN- the more the better, and so fruits and veggies that are high in potassium will be healthy staple foods for lowering BP- for DM, my advice would be to incorporate fresh high K fruit if high BP with good GLC control, but if poor GLC control, other sources are better

    Reply
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