Still Hungry After Eating a Meal?
The other day I discussed high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as an addictive substance. Today I would like to address its link with leptin and appetite management. Have you ever had the feeling that you just aren’t satisfied after consuming a meal? Maybe it's because you consume too much HFCS in the processed foods you consume and drink. Here's why:
Your fat cells produce hormones and they impact how much you eat and how much fat you burn. One of these hormones is leptin and it normally balances hunger, increases fat burning and reduces fat storage. When you limit consuming HFCS, leptin helps you control your appetite and your cells are able to communicate in the proper way.
But if you are eating a diet with excessive fructose, the sugar gets metabolized in fat cells, then the fat hormones release surges in leptin. Over time, if your body is exposed to excessive leptin, you will become resistant to it.
If you become leptin resistant your body no longer hears the messages telling it to stop eating, you remain hungry and continue to eat more. The cycle will perpetuate itself as you keep consuming too much fructose in a diet heavy in sugar (sugar also contains fructose) and HFCS.
If you are want to manage your appetite better I encourage you to read labels carefully on any processed food you consume and do not eat anything with HFCS and of course limit your intake of regular sugar.
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Posted by: Elaine Murphy, BA, CNC | Aug 11, 2009 1:45:43 PM
Hi Stephanie, I agree, HFCS is close to sugar in it's make up and has pretty much the same calories. Yes, people are eating too much of it, and white cane sugar. My blog is just to alert people that consuming too much of either can cause the numerous health problems we are seeing in epidemic proportions and to alert people how it all acts in the body. I personally suspect HFCS may be worse because of other factors, which just haven't been proven, yet. This reminds me of how trans fats were initially deemed safe and now look at what has been revealed.
My references are from
The Bariatrician, 2009, Volume 24, No. 1 by Dr. Lustig, a neuroendocrinologist and member of the Endocrine Society Obesity Task Force.
Elaine Murphy, BA,
Certified Nutrition Consultant
Posted by: stephanie Green | Aug 10, 2009 7:08:40 PM
As a registered dietitian I want you all to be clear when you are reading about research results. Pure fructose is used in many studies and people often connect it to HFCS. High fructose corn syrup may have a complicated-sounding name, but it’s simply a kind of corn sugar that is nutritionally the same as table sugar.
Like sugar or honey, high fructose corn syrup has calories. Excessive calories, from whatever source, can promote weight gain. But replacing high fructose corn syrup with sugar will not reduce obesity or improve health. Everyone needs to keep in mind that no single food or ingredient is the sole cause of obesity – rather, the primary cause is too many calories and too little exercise.
Stephanie Green, RD
