LIFESTYLE NEWS - The type of sugar we eat counts

Research has found that the type of sugar we eat - and not just the calorie count - may determine our risk for chronic disease.

For the study, female rats were given a liquid solution of either glucose or fructose, in addition to their normal diet of solid food.

This experiment lasted eight weeks, which is roughly the equivalent to a person eating large amounts of sugar for six years.

The sugar-fed rats were compared with a control group that received plain drinking water in addition to their food supply.

The difference between glucose and fructose

Glucose is a form of sugar found naturally in the body after carbohydrates are broken down. Fructose is a sugar found in fruit and fruit juices.

Fructose proves to be problematic

Researchers found that, although both sugar-fed groups consumed more calories than the control group, the total calorie intake of the glucose-fed rats was higher than the rats that were given fructose.

Another surprising observation was that "despite this difference, only the fructose group exhibited a significant increase in final body weight," wrote the research team.

In addition to higher weight gain, the fructose group showed more markers of vascular disease and liver damage than the glucose group. These included high triglycerides, increased liver weight, decreased fat burning in the liver (a factor that can contribute to fatty liver) and impaired relaxation of the aorta, which can affect blood pressure.