Fructose appears to be directly linked to the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Researchers at Maastricht UMC+ have demonstrated this. The results underscore the need to reduce fructose consumption.
Cause-effect relationship
It was already known that there was a connection between added fructose and the development of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. However, such a relationship does not automatically mean that there is a cause-and-effect relationship. ‘People who consume a lot of fructose from soft drinks, for example, may also have other unhealthy lifestyle habits that lead to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease,’ explains lead researcher Prof. Martijn Brouwers.
Less liver fat and lower blood pressure
The researchers previously saw that people had less fat accumulation in their liver and lower blood pressure after following a diet without fructose. But this study was too small-scale and too short-term to make a statement about the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In an additional study, they investigated more than a million people who, due to a hereditary predisposition, are less able to process fructose in the body. This allowed the researchers to look very specifically at the role that fructose has played throughout life in the development of disease. These people were not only found to have less fat in their liver and lower blood pressure, but also a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Sugar tax
The research results support measures to reduce fructose consumption. A proven effective means for this is the introduction of a sugar tax on sugary drinks. Brouwers believes that supermarkets should also take their responsibility: ‘Recent research by the Food Alliance for the Healthy Generation shows that unhealthy food still has a prominent place in supermarkets, both in the design and in the offers. If supermarkets have a healthier range, it will contribute to a healthier population.’
Source: Maastricht UMC+
