Natural juices are rich in fructose, unlike water or low fat milk, according to Dr. Richard Johnson from the University of Florida College of Medicine. Researchers believe that fructose may trigger obesity for humans.

Previous studies connected excessive drinking of soft drinks and fruit juices with a high risk of diabetes, blood pressure, or obesity, said Johnson. Glucose sends signals to the body to produce insulin, a hormoneBMI calculator, calorie counter, carbs counter, calorie calculator, diet planner, menu planner, workout planner, weight loss, weight loss tools, nutritional information, nutrition labelone that tells the brain when to Stop eating and turns sugar into energy. Fructose does the opposite and causes resistance to insulin, said Johnson.Weight gain may appear when large amounts of fructose are consumed over a long period of time, according to Peter Havel, an endocrinologist at the University of California.

Some natural juices have larger amounts of sugar than sodas. For instance, apple juice has more fructose than a soda, said Havel. A cup of apple juice has twenty more calories than the same amount of soda, according to the Department of Agriculture Nutrient Data Laboratory.

High-fructose corn syrup or fructose may lead to high levels of uric acid in the body. Dr. Johnson and his research team showed in a previous study on lab mice that a high-fructose diet leads to insulin resistance and the body produces more uric acid. Glucose does not cause the same problems, said Johnson.

Too much natural juice may also increase the children's risk of bone fractures.

(C) Project Weight Loss 2007. All rights reserved. …

Read More »