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"(NaturalNews) A research team from the University of Washington (UW) recently published a study in Physiology & Behavior revealing that moderate consumption of fructose- and high fructose corn syrup-sweetened beverages leads to significant alterations of lipid metabolization in the liver. Conducted on rats, the study also noted marked increases in both cholesterol and triglyceride levels in rats that fed on fructose-sweetened beverages. Fructose is a monosaccharide sugar that is found in various fruits. It is a simple sugar that is often promoted as being a healthy "fruit" sugar, however the reality is that fructose is just one component of the complex sugar composition that occurs naturally in fruit. Most granulated fructose available today, called crystalline fructose, is derived from fructose-enriched corn syrup. Similarly, high fructose corn syrup is a fructose-enriched form of highly-processed corn syrup that is commonly found in soda, ketchup, candy, dressings, and many other processed foods. The biggest concern about fructose is the fact that, unlike sucrose, it passes undigested through the small intestine where it enters the portal vein and heads directly to the liver. "

In the last three decades, fructose corn syrup, also known as high fructose corn syrup, has replaced about half of the sugar added to processed foods such as soft drinks, packaged foods, and many baked goods. The problem here is that fructose corn syrup is a highly refined food product that does not come from fruit.

Find out about the nutritional value of corn, where it becomes your favorite and most important food of your diet after reading this article. The health benefits of corn for hair, skin, and health of an individual.

ScienceDaily (Aug. 27, 2009) - Researchers have established the conditions that foster formation of potentially dangerous levels of a toxic substance in the high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) that is often fed to honey bees. Their study, which appears in the current issue of ACS' bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, may also have implications for soft drinks and dozens of other human foods that contain HFCS. The substance, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), forms mainly from heating fructose.

"Scientists have proved for the first time that fructose, a cheap form of sugar used in thousands of food products and soft drinks, can damage human metabolism and is fueling the obesity crisis. Fructose, a sweetener usually derived from corn, can cause dangerous growths of fat cells around vital organs and is able to trigger the early stages of diabetes and heart disease. Over 10 weeks, 16 volunteers on a controlled diet including high levels of fructose produced new fat cells around their heart, liver and other digestive organs. They also showed signs of food-processing abnormalities linked to diabetes and heart disease. Another group of volunteers on the same diet, but with glucose sugar replacing fructose, did not have these problems."

ScienceDaily (June 27, 2009) - Doctors have known for decades that too much carbohydrate-laden foods like white bread and corn flakes can be detrimental to cardiac health. In a landmark study, new research from Tel Aviv University now shows exactly how these high carb foods increase the risk for heart problems.

"HOUSTON - A diet that incorporates a daily dose of pistachios may help reduce the risk of lung and other cancers, according to data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference, held Dec. 6-9. "It is known that vitamin E provides a degree of protection against certain forms of cancer. Higher intakes of gamma-tocopherol, which is a form of vitamin E, may reduce the risk of lung cancer," said Ladia M. Hernandez, M.S., R.D., L.D., senior research dietitian in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, and doctoral candidate at Texas Woman's University - Houston Center. "Pistachios are a good source of gamma-tocopherol. Eating them increases intake of gamma-tocopherol so pistachios may help to decrease lung cancer risk," she said. Pistachios are known to provide a heart-healthy benefit by producing a cholesterol-lowering effect and providing the antioxidants that are typically found in food products of plant origin. Hernandez and colleagues conducted a six-week, controlled clinical trial to evaluate if the consumption of pistachios would increase dietary intake and serum levels of gamma-tocopherol. A pistachio-rich diet could potentially help reduce the risk of other cancers from developing as well, according to Hernandez. "Because epidemiologic studies suggest gamma-tocopherol is protective against prostate cancer, pistachio intake may help," she said. "Other food sources that are a rich source of gamma-tocopherol include nuts such as peanuts, pecans, walnuts, soybean and corn oils.""

"A friend has emailed me the full text of Pawel Grieb's paper documenting a number of physiological parameters of medium to long term Optimal Diet (OD) eaters in Poland, as pointed out by Flo and Stan. There are a few points worth making. The biggest mistake, BTW, is that the authors claim (correctly) that the OD diet aims for >70% fat with (incorrectly) "no restriction on the type of fat (saturated or unsaturated) or cholesterol level". I think they meant that the OD does not ban saturated fats. This is of course true but the impression given is that the OD allows "healthy" fats, which are, of course, inedible. So the heavy emphasis on saturated fats is missed by the paper. A pity, anyone might be left thinking corn oil is a human food... The first positive aspect is that this is a multi author study, eleven authors from several medical centres/unversities. So it's not a one man band case report. I like that. The second is that it is remarkably positive about the findings throughout. Even the elevated LDL cholesterol levels are not taken as extreme and are not trumpeted from the rooftops as the portent of imminent cardiovascular doom. So refreshing!"

"July 9, 2008 | Michael O'Riordan Boston, MA - The consumption of a diet containing vegetable oils rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is associated with significant reductions in the risk of nonfatal MI, a new study has shown [1]. Investigators say the protective effect of ALA is evident among individuals with low intakes, suggesting the greatest benefit might be in developing countries, where fatty-acid consumption is limited. "The potential for benefit is great when the baseline intake is low," said lead investigator Dr Hannia Campos (Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA). "In countries where people eat very little fish-and some of these countries have almost no sources of omega-3 fatty acids because they cook with corn or sunflower oils-the consumption of vegetable oils with ALA could have a major impact on heart disease." In an editorial accompanying the published study [2], Dr William Harris (University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls) said that the data are suggestive and would be good news for individuals who will not or cannot eat fish, but more studies are still needed. "If ALA were able to do the same 'heavy lifting' that [eicosapentaenoic acid] EPA and [docosahexaenoic acid] DHA do, this would be welcomed news, because the capacity to produce ALA is essentially limitless, whereas there are only so many fish in the sea," he writes. "

"I know what you may be thinking: "Fish oil?! I thought fish oil was supposed to be healthy! One day you say we should take it, now you're saying it puts us at risk for Swine Flu?" Well, there is a reasonable answer, but it doesn't come in the form of a simple "fish oil is good" or "fish oil is bad" kind of package. The truth is that eating fish and taking fish oil is very often extremely beneficial for a great number of health conditions. But there is no substance on Earth that is 100% healthy under every conceivable circumstance. Take water, for example. Drinking plenty of pure water is a healthful practice. On the other hand, drinking excessive amounts (water intoxication) can lead to serious bodily damage and even death. The August issue of the Journal of Nutrition reports on a study conducted on two groups of mice fed either a fish oil or corn oil enriched diet. (4) All the mice were infected with the flu virus and were then examined over a two week period. Several interesting observations were made at the conclusion of the trial: * The mice receiving the fish oil exhibited lower levels of lung tissue inflammation. This confirms the known anti-inflammatory activity of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish. * However, these same mice suffered a "40% higher mortality rate", a "70% higher lung viral load" and "a prolonged recovery period following infection". * The researchers also noted a decline in NK (natural killer) cells in the spleens of the mice that were fed fish oil and a decrease in CD8+ T cells. NK cells and cytotoxic T cells are vital players in the body's ability to deal with infections."

Masakan asal Jawa timur ini terdiri dari potongan tahu, taoge, mi, dan daun selada, dan di siram dengan kuah kikil lalu diberi irisan perkedel singkong, taburan bawang merah goreng dan sambal. Jika suka rasa yang lebih pedas cabai dalam sambal boleh ditambah. Hmmm.... mantap!