“Numerous results from animal experiments and clinical observations of diagnoses demonstrate that consumption of processed foods high in sugar increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.” A review-type article published Jan. 29 in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings concludes. “This review is the first to systematically suggest that foods high in sugar are more likely to cause diabetes with associated symptoms and premature death, even when calorie intake is held constant.” Dr. ames J DiNicolantonio, first author of the article, said. “Therefore, by reducing sugar intake, especially fructose, to 5 to 10 percent of overall calorie intake, patients’ insulin resistance will be minimized. This will protect patients against complications associated with diabetes and cardiovascular disease.” Other experts agree that the general public should lower their sugar consumption to improve their health. Last year, Dr. DiNicolantonio published another article in Open Heart about how consuming too much sugar can cause high blood pressure, and thus called for a shift in the direction of preventing high blood pressure from salt to sugar. However, it is not clear whether it is the fructose content of sugar that causes type 2 diabetes, as Dr. DiNicolantonio suggests. The amount of sugar consumed on a daily basis in modern times is consistently at a relatively high level. However, the properties of added sugar components and their metabolism in the body are still not well understood. The main sugar extracted from sugar cane or sugar beets is classified as sucrose, which consists of 50% glucose and 50% fructose. The syrup from corn juice, which is used primarily as a sweetener in beer, also contains a fair amount of glucose and fructose. However, whereas the glucose and fructose in sucrose are chemically bonded, the glucose and sucrose in corn syrup are separated from each other. In the body, however, sucrose is rapidly digested to form glucose and sucrose. Both sucrose and glucose syrup have been found to affect insulin levels in the body, however the real reason for this is still being discussed. In this latest review by Dr. DiNicolantonio, they report on a study on the relationship between sugar and diabetes (PLoS One. 2013;8:e57873). This article found that among people with a daily calorie intake of 110 kcal each, the group with a high sugar intake had 11 times the risk of developing diabetes than the other group. This result has been confirmed by several other studies. Another study found that patients who received high amounts of fructose had a 25% reduction in insulin sensitivity compared to the glucose group. They therefore concluded that consuming large amounts of sugar, especially fructose, is a major health risk for the body. So what is the message to us, Dr. DiNicolantonio believes that we should henceforth reduce the consumption of processed foods because of the high percentage of sugar in processed foods, whereas natural foods contain sugar at natural levels. “Even though the consumption of processed foods high in sugar, such as beer, raises the risk of diabetes, the most natural foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are not a cause for concern.” Dr. Johnson said. The American Heart Association advocates that the average person should consume no more than 100 calories of sugar per day for women and 150 calories for men. It’s also important to strike a balance with sugar consumption, keeping glucose and fructose intake roughly equal.