Dec 19, 2005

Fruit Sugars Might Cause Obesity

While eating lots of sugary food can definitely increase the risk of obesity with associated risks of developing diabetes and heart problems, eating more fruits might just do the same thing as per reports from a recent study.

Fructose, the sugar found in fruit, honey and the corn-syrup sweeteners used in many processed foods, may trick the body into thinking it's hungrier than it really is, researchers report.

The findings could explain why sweet foods help boost obesity rates in the United States and elsewhere.

A word of caution in interpreting the study! The evidence comes from animal studies and not from human studies. Researchers at at the University of Florida identified fructose as part of a biochemical chain reaction that causes weight gain in rats.

Fructose can also cause an increase of uric acid levels in the blood, the Florida team found. This temporary rise in uric acid blocks the action of insulin, the hormone that regulates how body cells use and store the sugar they need for energy.

If increased uric acid levels occur frequently enough, features of metabolic syndrome may develop over time, the researchers said. These features include obesity, elevated blood cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.

This research paper is published in the December issue of the journal Nature Clinical Practice Nephrology and in the online edition of the American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology.

JoAnn      

Do You Read All Of Our Cancer Blogs?

Do you read all of the blogs published by medicineworld.org? Many of our bloggers are busy keeping you updated on the various health related topics. We publish the following blogs at this time.

Cancer blog: I manage the cancer blog with lots of help and support form other bloggers. Through this cancer blog my friends and I try to bring stories of hope for patients with cancer. The cancer blog often republishes important blog posts from other cancer related blogs at Medicineworld.org. If you are searching for a blog that covers wide variety of cancer topics, this may be the one for you.

Breast cancer blog: Breast cancer blog is run by Emily and other bloggers and they bring you the latest stories, news and events that are related to breast cancer. Increasing awareness about breast cancer among women and in the general population is the main goal of this breast cancer blog.

Lung cancer blog: Lung cancer blog is managed by Scott with the help of other bloggers. Through this blog Scott and his friends constantly remind the readers about the dangers of smoking. It's a never-ending struggle against this miserable disease with which a social stigma of smoking is associated.

Colon cancer blog: Colon cancer blog is run by Sue and other bloggers. Sue brings a personal touch to the colon cancer blog since her mother died of colon cancer few years ago. She writes about stories, research news and advances in treatment related to colon cancer.

Prostate cancer blog: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among American men. American Cancer Society estimates that over 230,000 new cases of prostate cancer occur in the United state every year. This important blog about prostate cancer is run by Mark and other bloggers. This blog brings news, stories, and other personal observations related to prostate cancer.

Medicineworld.org publishes a diabetes watch blog and this blog is run by JoAnn other bloggers. This diabetes watch blog brings you the latest in the field of diabetes. This includes personal stories, advances in diagnosis and treatment, and other observations about diabetes. Improving awareness about diabetes is an important mission of this group.

Janet      

Type-2 Diabetes
Type-2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, accounting for 90% of cases diabetes. This disease affects nearly 17 million Americans and is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Even though 17 million Americans have type-2 diabetes only half of these people are aware that they have diabetes. The death rate in patients with diabetes may be up to 11 times higher than in persons without the disease. The occurrence of diabetes in persons 45 to 64 years of age is 7 percent, but the proportion increases significantly in persons 65 years of age or older. Type-2 diabetes accounts for more than 90% of all diabetes worldwide.