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High Fructose Corn Syrup Linked to Liver Scarring
Duke Medicine News and Communications ^ | Mar. 18, 2010 | NA

Posted on 04/21/2010 2:21:20 PM PDT by neverdem

High fructose corn syrup, which is linked to obesity, may also be harmful to the liver, according to Duke University Medical Center research.

“We found that increased consumption of high fructose corn syrup was associated with scarring in the liver, or fibrosis, among patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD),” said Manal Abdelmalek, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology at Duke University Medical Center.

Her team of researchers at Duke, one of eight clinical centers in the Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network, looked at 427 adults enrolled in the network. They analyzed dietary questionnaires collected within three months of the adults’ liver biopsies to determine their high fructose corn syrup intake and its association with liver scarring.

The researchers found only 19 percent of adults with NAFLD reported no intake of fructose-containing beverages, while 52 percent consumed between one and six servings a week and 29 percent consumed fructose-containing beverages on a daily basis.

An increase in consumption of fructose appeared to be correlated to increased liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD.

“We have identified an environmental risk factor that may contribute to the metabolic syndrome of insulin resistance and the complications of the metabolic syndrome, including liver injury,” Abdelmalek said.

Research Abdelmalek published in the Journal of Hepatology in 2008 showed that, within a small subset of patients, high fructose corn syrup was associated with NAFLD. Her latest research, published online in Hepatology, goes one step further and links high fructose corn syrup to the progression of liver injury.

“Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is present in 30 percent of adults in the United States,” Abdelmalek said. “Although only a minority of patients progress to cirrhosis, such patients are at increased risk for liver failure, liver cancer, and the need for liver transplant,” she explained.

“Unfortunately, there is no therapy for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,” she said. “My hope is to see if we can find a factor, such as increased consumption of high fructose corn syrup, which, if modified, can decrease the risk of liver disease.”

The idea is similar to what cardiologists have done for heart patients, Abdelmalek explained. They discovered that high-fat diets are bad for your heart, so they have promoted low-fat diets to decrease the risk of heart disease, she said.

“We haven’t made it that far with liver disease yet,” Abdelmalek said. “We know that alcohol is not good for your liver, and therefore encourage patients to limit alcohol consumption. But what do you do when people have non-alcoholic liver disease?”

“Our findings suggest that we may need to go back to healthier diets that are more holistic,” Abdelmalek said. “High fructose corn syrup, which is predominately in soft-drinks and processed foods, may not be as benign as we previously thought.”

The consumption of fructose has increased exponentially since the early 1970s, and with this rise, an increase in obesity and complications of obesity have been observed, Abdelmalek said.

“There is an increasing amount of data that suggests high fructose corn syrup is fueling the fire of the obesity epidemic, but until now no one has ever suggested that it contributes to liver disease and/or liver injury.” Abdelmalek said the next step is more studies looking at the mechanisms of liver injury.

“We need to do formal studies that evaluate the influence of limiting or completely discontinuing high fructose corn syrup from one’s diet and see if there are health benefits from doing so,” she said.

Other authors on the study include Ayako Suzuki, Cynthia Guy, Anna Mae Diehl, all of Duke; Aynur Unalp-Arida and Ryan Colvin of John Hopkins; and Richard Johnson of the University of Colorado.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; Testing
KEYWORDS: fructose; health; hfcs; liverscarring; nafld
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Increased fructose consumption is associated with fibrosis severity in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
1 posted on 04/21/2010 2:21:20 PM PDT by neverdem
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To: neverdem

Especially when consumed with Jack Daniels, Bacardi,...


2 posted on 04/21/2010 2:22:40 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (We've gone from phony soldiers to phony conservative protesters. Nothing about liberalism is genuine)
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To: neverdem

Everyone who eats carrots WILL die.


3 posted on 04/21/2010 2:24:00 PM PDT by Drill Thrawl (Another day, another injury, another step closer. Are you prepared?)
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To: a fool in paradise

In other news, DHMO has been linked with cancer, typhoid fever, and dysentery.


4 posted on 04/21/2010 2:24:52 PM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: ArrogantBustard

I heard that it was also in every ocean, lake, pond, stream, river, and creek in the world.


5 posted on 04/21/2010 2:25:55 PM PDT by Drill Thrawl (Another day, another injury, another step closer. Are you prepared?)
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To: neverdem

If the government would just stop the big tax on imported sugar, we could have healther sugar in our Coke and Pepsi.


6 posted on 04/21/2010 2:32:58 PM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: Drill Thrawl
Appalling, isn't it?

Somebody should DO SOMETHING!!!!!

Ban DHMO!!!!

7 posted on 04/21/2010 2:35:55 PM PDT by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: neverdem

Let them end the corrupt sugar subsidies and we can have sugar again. Of course high fructose corn syrup is bad. Anyone ingesting the stuff is not smart. You have choices even if your government is limiting them.

Try calling your representative (Dem or GOP) and see what they say when you ask them to introduce a bill ending price supports for sugar.


8 posted on 04/21/2010 2:38:22 PM PDT by gunsequalfreedom
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To: neverdem

I think it was 1985 when they told me that the coffee and eggs I consumed almost every morning would kill me within five years...


9 posted on 04/21/2010 2:39:10 PM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: a fool in paradise
Especially when consumed with Jack Daniels, Bacardi,...

I guess that's why they call it with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), not. They did another study in Israel, not noted for being boozehounds.

Soft drink consumption is associated with fatty liver disease independent of metabolic syndrome

Pediatricians have been finding NAFLD in their patients.

10 posted on 04/21/2010 2:41:04 PM PDT by neverdem (Xin loi minh oi)
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To: neverdem

“High fructose corn syrup, which is linked to obesity”

Look how propaganda works, everyone. It’s so easy, and you can do it, too!

Hey, you think there’s a “link” because possibly, maybe, kinda, sorta, it’s in a lotta food and fat people eat a lotta food? Sounds reasonable. But not as sensational as the implication that people who otherwise would be of healthy weight are now fat because they were ambushed by secret corn syrup.

By the way, since when was it the job of science to find “links.” I thought they were all about cause and effect.


11 posted on 04/21/2010 2:43:27 PM PDT by Tublecane
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To: truthfreedom

If the government would just stop the big tax on imported sugar, we could have healther sugar in our Coke and Pepsi.

But other scientists have shown that liver scarring is actually good for you. So Drink Up, America! This message is brought to you by Nebraska Corn Farmers for Ben Nelson, the same fine folks who help bring you Energy Independence by forcing lots of gasket-destroying Ethanol into every fill-up.


12 posted on 04/21/2010 2:43:46 PM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Gondring

If you enjoy the silly comments, have a gander.


13 posted on 04/21/2010 2:44:20 PM PDT by neverdem (Xin loi minh oi)
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To: truthfreedom
If the government would just stop the big tax on imported sugar, we could have healther sugar in our Coke and Pepsi.

Get your coke from a Mexican market and you will find your coke and pepsi made with sugar. Don't know what else is in the product from Mexico that you have to worry about but at least you will be getting The Real Thing.

From an article at sodahead.com

Mexican Coca-Cola Growing Popularity in the U.S. - Are you mad that the U.S. doesn't use real sugar in Coke? by SAM Posted 04/24/09

It may cost more because it is imported and made with real sugar, but Mexican Coke is becoming more popular the U.S. - especially in the S.F. Bay area. Anyone who has tried Mexican-produced Coke can testify and say that it tastes like it used to taste back in the days, it even comes in the classic glass bottle. What's behind Mexican Coca-Cola? Of course, it's made with real sugar. Since the late 20th century, The United States has been using high-fructose corn syrup. The real reason people starting using HFCS is that the price of sugar in the US is kept artificially high to promote the use of corn. Remember when Coca-Cola started coming out in cans and labeling as "Classic"? That's when it all went wrong!

http://www.sodahead.com/

14 posted on 04/21/2010 2:44:25 PM PDT by gunsequalfreedom
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To: neverdem

NAFLD and FLD related to alcohol is easily reversible and it is not proven to lead to anything worse (i.e. hepatitis or cirrhosis). It’s all genetics. I say enjoy yourself...the years between 80 and 90 aren’t that great anyway.


15 posted on 04/21/2010 2:44:26 PM PDT by coaltrain
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To: Drill Thrawl
I heard that it was also in every ocean, lake, pond, stream, river, and creek in the world.

That's unbelievable. You don't imagine swimming pools have it too?

16 posted on 04/21/2010 2:45:25 PM PDT by steve86 (Acerbic by nature, not nurture)
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To: Buckeye McFrog
I buy Cokes from Mexico at the Costco in Winchester. $18 a case (24) and in 12 oz. bottles. Mmmmmm sugar!


17 posted on 04/21/2010 2:46:39 PM PDT by WVKayaker ( Ridicule is the best test of truth. - Philip Dormer Shanhope, Lord Chesterfield)
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To: neverdem

On the serious side, HFCS is starting/continuing to get heightened attention as both a potential toxin and as a cause for obesity. Yes, toxin, because, according to the following, it metabolizes *exactly* like ethyl alcohol, except it metaboizes in the liver/gut instead of in the brain. Which means it produces no high. Few would argue that ethyl alcohol is not a toxin. When HFCS (or sucrose, for that matter) breaks down in the body it follows a chemical path remarkably parallel to that of ethyl alcohol. (If you believe the contents of the following video)

This is a longish 1:30:00 talk by a Doctor Lustig from the Univ. of CA regarding his findings on HFCS and sucrose. I found it worth watching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM&feature=player_embedded

This not being my area of expertise, I’m posting it without any particular position on the topic. I found it quite credible. I’d appreciate any FReeper comments on the content.


18 posted on 04/21/2010 2:47:04 PM PDT by Attention Surplus Disorder (Voters who thought their ship came in with 0bama are on their own Titanic.)
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To: gunsequalfreedom
Mexican Coca-Cola Growing Popularity in the U.S. - Are you mad that the U.S. doesn't use real sugar in Coke? by SAM Posted 04/24/09The local supermarket (Wegmans) sell it. It costs more than beer!
19 posted on 04/21/2010 2:47:57 PM PDT by Drill Thrawl (Another day, another injury, another step closer. Are you prepared?)
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To: neverdem

Where I used to work at before, I would drink 5 or 6 sodas a day for a few months. I got up to over 300lbs. I then stopped drinking sodas for a few months and lost around 30lbs.
HFCS is the problem.


20 posted on 04/21/2010 2:48:44 PM PDT by RolandTignor
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