Fructose Causes High Blood Pressure, Kidney Disease, and Obesity
by Jennifer E. Jacobsen
Dr. Richard Johnson, Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado and author of The Sugar Fix, has been studying the effects of fructose and High Fructose Corn Syrup on the body and metabolism. Dr. Johnson and his team began by researching the causes of high blood pressure. Their research led to the conclusion that uric acid increase in the body leads to high blood pressure and inflammation. Doctors and scientists have long believed that gout, which often develops in the big toe, produces uric acid as a byproduct. Now, doctors and scientists are revealing that it is actually the uric acid in the body which leads to the development of gout.
Dr. Johnson and his team have found that in those people who suffer from high blood pressure, the uric acid levels in the body were around 5 mg per decible. When the uric acid levels in the same individuals were lowered below 3 mg per decible, the blood pressure levels in these individuals also dropped, and those individuals who were obese actually lost weight.
High levels of uric acid in the system also leads to kidney disease and hypertension. “Uric acid raises blood pressure acutely which, over time, causes changes in the small blood vessels in the kidney…The uric acid is an inciting event that causes changes in the kidney that then causes the kidney to hold on to salt and causes persistant hypertension,” Johnson states.
What is uric acid? Where does it come from? Antoine Bechamp provided us this answer back in the 1800s, and contemporaries such as Dr. Robert O. Young continue his work today. Uric acid is just that: acid. Bechamp and Young have discovered that when acidity in the body is increased, the pH drops, and the internal environment of the body becomes toxic. Microzymas (healthy cell building organisms) are then transformed into germs, bacteria, yeast, fungus, and mold (called microforms). Our internal cells actually change, and this change causes mutations in our DNA and can even lead to cancer.
“We started looking at what raises uric acid. We found that, of course, it is meats, and purine rich foods can raise uric acid. One of the most potent ways to raise uric acid is via fructose,” states Johnson.
Johnson and his team discovered that fructose produces uric acid within minutes of ingestion. The acid then secrets into the cells and seeps into the blood, lowering the blood pH. The research of Becahmp and Young has shown that when the blood pH deviates from its normal 7.365, the body actually goes into emergency mode. Any deviation in the blood pH can lead to coma and even death. Therefore, the body fights a huge battle to prevent this from happening. The blood begins to pull the alkalizing minerals (potassium, magnesium, calcium, and sodium) out of the muscles and internal fluids in order to bring the pH of the blood back up to 7.365. This, in turn, robs the muscles and the fluids of minerals, leading to latent tissue acidosis and low urinary pH.
Dr. Johnson said that back in the 1700s, the average person consumed 4 pounds of sugar per year. In the 1800s that number increased to 18 pounds of sugar. In the 1900s that number further increased to 90 pounds of sugar. Today, the average perons eats a half a pound of sugar per day which roughly equals 182 pounds of sugar per year. Year by year humans are becoming increasingly unhealthy and more obese.
Fructose is a monosaccharide (the simplest form of sugar and a carbohydrate). Fructose is found in honey, table sugar, many fruits and some root vegetables. When fructose and glucose (a carbohydrate sugar used by our body for energy) are condensed, we get sucrose, or common table sugar. Sucrose is 50% fructose. It is therefore a disaccharide. High Fructose Corn Syrup is made of equal portions of fructose and glucose. When glucose and fructose are combined, the combination is quite hazardous for our health. Dr. Richard Johnson states that “when you take glucose and fructose together, you absorb more fructose than if you just ate fructose alone.” Therefore, your body produces more uric acid as a byproduct, leading to more acidity in the body and a lower bodily pH.
A study on rats showed that when one set of rats were given High Fructose Corn Syrup and another set of rats were given sucrose (in equal amounts and equal in calories), both sets of rats developed the same problems. High Fructose Corn Syrup fed rats, however, developed more fat in their livers than sucrose fed rats. “The liver is the first site, after you absorb sugar, where it goes, and 70% of it is metabolized,” states Dr. Johnson. In another study, rats that had kidney disease were fed fructose, and in these rats, their disease became worse and produced internal scarring.
In High Fructose Corn Syrup and sucrose (table sugar), there are no vitamins and minerals in the sugars to counteract their acidic effects. Nature is so perfect by design, that natural fruits contain vitamins and minerals that help to counteract the acidity produced by the fructose released in the system when eaten. When fruit is juiced, however, the fructose levels are increased as more sugar is produced in juicing. Therefore, the sugar content of juiced fruit is very high and the fructose can cause uric acid to be released in the body. When uric acid is released in the body in amounts over 5 mg per decible, the risk for developing kidney disease, obesity, high blood pressure, hypertension, and fatty liver increases dramatically. If we lower uric acid levels in the body, these diseases can be prevented. Dr. Richard Johnson sates that “its only the fructose-fed animal that will develop obesity, insulin resistance, fatty liver, and high triglycerides, signs of inflammation, vascular disease, and high blood pressure.”
So does eating fruit in its natural state then not lead to the production of uric acid in the body? Not exactly, Dr. Johnson tells us. “As a fruit ripens, it will become sweeter, and it is fructose content goes up, and vitamins and antioxidents actually go down,” he states. Therefore, eating low sugar fruits, as Dr. Robert O. Young suggests, is best for maintaining the alkalinity of the body. According to Bechamp and Young, as a fruit ripens, it begins to not only produce more sugar, but it starts the fermentation process. Inside the body, this fructose and fermentation lowers the pH of the internal environment and begins the transformation of microzymas into microforms. Dr. Young and Dr. Johnson agree on several points. One of these points is that fruit should be eaten sparingly, as an occasional treat, and not as an every day occurance. The cleaner the internal environment, the more one will be able to withstand the affects of fructose on the body.
Dr. Johnson also states that “fructose is actually injuring the pancreas itself…Fructose plays a role in causing insulin resistance and eventually diabetes.” A study was performed in Spain on 70 Spanish men. These men were fed high amounts of fructose, and within two weeks these men became insulin resistant and were on their way to developing diabetes. When they ceased to be fed fructose, their symptoms reversed. The average person consumes 70 to 130 grams of fructose a day. The average person should be consuming only 15 grams of fructose a day in order to stay within the safe ranges.
The more sugar a person eats, the more sensitive to sugar he or she will become. The body actually builds a tolerance to fructose, High Fructose Corn Syrup, and sucrose the more that it is introduced to the system. Therefore, over time, a person’s natural resistance decreases significantly.
Fructose levels are the lowest in limes, lemons, cranberries, and passion fruit with around 0 to 1 gram of fructose. It is the highest in watermelon, pears, grapes and mangos with between 11 to 16 grams of fructose. Cherries, pineapple, pink grapefruit, and peaches are middle-of-the-road fruits with around 5 grams of fructose per serving.
So, aside from fructose, fruit, and sugary root vegetables, what else raises uric acid in the body? Dr. Johnson says that meats and beer produce high levels of uric acid and should be reduced and avoided if possible. “It’s the yeast and the RNA and all of that that is used to make beer. If you drink a lot of beer, you get features that resemble metabolic syndrome,” he states. He goes on to tell us that beer activates the same pathways as fructose which is why people who drink a lot of beer get beer bellies. “Beer is one of the most powerful ways to raise uric acid,” Johnson claims.
Fructose, High Fructose Corn Syrup, and sucrose are all highly addictive. Unfortunately, these are in so many of our foods today, and the food industry capitalizes on this addiction in order to increase profits. Soda, sugary drinks, candy bars, and processed and canned foods are loaded with these acid producing sugars. Dr. Johnson is a huge supporter of the sugar tax trying to be passed on all sugary substances and High Fructose Corn Syrup laden foods and drinks. He states education and restriction of these sugary products are necessary to keep the human population healthy. Even agave syrup and honey are not safe. Agave syrup contains 80% fructose, and honey is equally high in sugar. The best option for sugar replacement is natural stevia.
Unfortunately, most medical doctors today prescribe drugs and high protein diets as a remedy. Even Dr. Johnson says that pharmaceuticals are more effective and faster at cutting out sugar and reducing fructose and uric acid levels than diet. What Dr. Johson fails to see is that all pharmaceuticals are acid producing. Pharmaceuticals and over the counter drugs may not produce uric acid, but they do produce acid, and the body treats all acidity the same when it comes to maintenance of pH and alkaline levels.
The Atkins Diet is a widely prescribed by most medical doctors, and this diet is effective at cutting out sugar and carbohydrates from the body. It is effective at reducing weight. However, the diet relies heavily on acidic meats, cheeses, and dairy products as sources of protein. The Atkins Diet is very high in uric acid. Dr. Robert O. Young, author of pH Miracle, states that we should not be getting our protein from acidic meats, cheeses, and dairy products. We should reduce sugar in the body and increase our intake of vegetables, high quality oils, nuts, seeds, and sprouted grains instead. Soy sprouts, for instance, have more protein than any meat, and are highly alkalizing. We should be getting our fats from almonds, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, oils, and avocados as opposed to from cheese and dairy. Eating a diet high in alkaline vegetables, oils, grains, nuts, seeds, and low sugar fruits will produce the same weight and sugar reducing effects as the Atkins Diet but will lower the acidity in the body leading to overall health and disease reversal.
For more information on a healthy, alkaline diet, designed to remove intestinal bacteria, visit http://www.AlkalineVitality.com.
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Medical Warning: Please note that Jennifer E. Jacobsen is not a medical physician and this writing is not meant to diagnose or cure any disease. You should always check with your healcare professional before starting anything new. This writing is for your education only.
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