- quote -

I have also read from many sources that the liver converts fructose to
triglycerides. Can someone provide additional studies similar to below
that actually measure plasma fructose levels?

http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2004/12/01/4166.html

A Japanese study shows that elevated after-meal plasma fructose levels
are linked to proliferative retinopathy in type 2 diabetics.

After-meal plasma fructose concentrations and after-meal plasma
glucose concentrations were simultaneously measured in 38 type 2s. The
average after-meal plasma fructose concentrations (MPPF) were
calculated. Blood fructose levels were measured by gas chromatography-
mass spectrometry.

Patients were divided into the high, middle and low MPPF groups. The
prevalence of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) among the
patients was significantly higher in the high-MPPF group than in the
middle- and low-MPPF groups.

No significant differences in blood glucose indicators and average
duration of diabetes were observed among the three MPPF groups.

jay wrote:
- quote -

While fructose does not increase insulin in the blood it does get
converted almost directly to triglycerides which is a more reliable
marker of cardiovascular disease risk.

--

Pramesh Rutaji

p297tongue6221[at]newsguy.com - remove tongue to reply

For serveral years now, I have noticed that watermelons tend to
aggravate my nerves more than most fruits. Now I find the following:

Low-Calorie Watermelon
12-Aug-2003 - An agricultural scientist at the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem claims to have developed a less fattening variety of
watermelon which still remains just as sweet.

The edible quality of watermelon fruit is dependent upon crisp
texture, juiciness, deep-red flesh colour and sweetness. Of these,
high sugar content is perhaps the most important factor in ensuring
consumer acceptability. However, it is also the factor that piles up
calories - particularly since people tend to eat large servings of
watermelon. In experiments conducted at the Hebrew University's
Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Quality Sciences in
Rehovot, Professor Shmuel Wolf has developed a strain of lowered-
calorie, sweet watermelon with reduced sugar content.

Wolf explains that three types of sugar are found in watermelon -
fructose, glucose and sucrose. Perception of sweetness is stimulated
differently by each of these sugars, with fructose producing the
greatest sensation of sweetness. Thus, less fructose is required to
provide the same sweet taste that is obtained from greater quantities
of either glucose or sucrose.

In a breeding programme carried out by Wolf involving wild varieties
of watermelon with varying degrees and proportions of the different
types of sugars, a watermelon was produced in which fructose is the
major sugar. This, he says, enables overall sugar content to be
reduced by up to 40 per cent, with no loss of sweet taste.

The new watermelon, which does not involve genetic engineering, should
be on the market by next summer, according to Wolf.