Is This Title Misleading Or Is it Just Me?
Breast-Feeding Moms Who Consume Too Much Fructose Sweetener More Likely to Have Obese KidsThat's a very catchy title, isn't it? But let's look at some parts of the story:
The study, conducted in rats, found that the first male offspring had signs of metabolic endocrine disorders in adulthood, even though the sons ate a normal diet with no extra fructose, said co-author Eduardo Spinedi, PhD. He is head of the Neuroendocrinology Research Unit at the Multidisciplinary Institute of Cell Biology in La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.Fructose, as in high-fructose corn syrup, is widely found in regular soda pop, fruit juices and other drinks. Many researchers believe that high fructose intake plays a role in the development of prediabetes and the metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.
First, it's a rat study and not a human study as the title implies. I think rat studies are important, but I think it's quite a leap to go straight from rat behavior to human behavior. Second, the researchers fed the rats only fructose, not high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). There's a difference in how the body handles fructose alone as compared to fructose combined with glucose (which is what HFCS is - about half fructose and half glucose, very much like regular sugar and honey). To me, it looks like the writer of this press release is trying to portray HFCS as maybe being more dangerous than other sweeteners (notice that sucrose and honey are not included as fructose sweeteners), but maybe I'm reading too much into it.
Results are available only for the male offspring at this time. Males born from the rats given fructose during breast-feeding had the most pronounced abnormalities. Compared with controls, these rats had increased food intake and body weight from days 49 to 60. They also had increased blood levels of the so-called hunger hormone, leptin, which is associated with obesity. Furthermore, they had high insulin levels, which Giovambattista called “a clear indicator of already developed illness such as type 2 diabetes.”
I think it's interesting that the male rat-children may have responded to the fructose the rat-mamas ate while nursing, but I think the title of the press release overstates the actual results in terms of the effects of humans (which weren't studied) and that bugs me. I hate to see readers deceived when it comes to nutrition and diet.
So with that little rant out of the way, what do I think about moms consuming sweeteners? I wouldn't want nursing moms to consume large amounts of any type of sweetener because we know that eating too much sugar or HFCS adds too many calories and leads to obesity, but a little of bit of sweetener (maybe 100 calories worth each day) is just fine. I also want moms to watch their sugar intake and eat healthy balanced diets because they'll be teaching their kids how to eat in a few months.
Image © Sam Rusling
Comments
Great post!
Unfortunately, there are many examples of this type of irresponsible reporting, in which the reader is drawn in with sexy headlines to seemingly relevant, applicable nutrition “news.” Studies are interpreted with great liberty while the related scientific article may be about an animal model or a cell-culture model, and be hardly relevant to anyone but the scientific community.
Study results should never be taken as guidelines for behavior. An interesting study, especially one showing new or contradictory results, will be followed by repeated and more methodological ones, and in the end, all evidence will be weighed by experts and only then might a recommendation be made.
I hope reporters and bloggers take their position as influencers very seriously, and write responsibly the way you do.
Dr. Ayala
I think one of the problems we have today in sticking to the “100 calories” as you mentioned is that there are so many products in which HFCS and other types of sweeteners are hidden so people don’t realize how much they’re really getting on a daily basis. For example, why does bread have to contain HFCS? Other foods in which HFCS (or corn syrup) can be found are crackers, cereals, many frozen prepared entrees (I was told the other day that it was in a box of frozen breaded fish a friend bought), croutons for salad, salad dressings, flavored yogurt, ice cream, etc. Let’s not even begin considering the food children get in school that is laden with sweeteners. In fact, it’s quite difficult to find products without HFCS today. Most people wouldn’t think of reading bread or cracker labels looking for HFCS. Bottom line — avoiding HFCS is difficult and most people consume it on a daily basis without even knowing it. The majority of people think they are getting sweeteners only when they eat dessert-type foods.
Researchers looking at this issue (who are not in the HFCS industry) say there appears to be some difference in how the body responds to and metabolizes HFCS vs sucrose. Researchers from Rutgers University tested 11 soft drinks sweetened with high fructose corn syrup and detected high levels of compounds that are normally raised in the blood of people with diabetes – reactive carbonyls. These compounds have been linked to diabetic complications such as tissue damage. Reactive carbonyls were not detected in soda sweetened with sucrose (table sugar). It’s worth reading the entire study instead of just the press release. Here it is:
Roglans N, Vila L, Farre M et al. (2007). Impairment of hepatic Stat-3 activation and reduction of PPARalpha activity in fructose-fed rats. Hepatology Mar;45(3):778-88.
HFCS is ubiquitous in our foods today. I don’t think the world would suffer from less HFCS in it.
Hi, can you send me all of that articules please, my email is miapodoescolar2@gmail.com
thanks a lot
Wow! Thanks for the honesty. You just added serious credibility points to your reputation. So often, the media is misleading in everything. According to “them” we live in a world that is dangerous, full of people waiting to kill us. The facts are left out and the representation given to public is way out of proportion. All things in moderation. Period. You’re articles are interesting and informative. Thanks for the insight on healthy living.