[EQAndyBuzz]

"Answer this question: why was heart disease almost non existent 100 years ago? People might have worked a little harder but there were still enough people living the easy life to show more heart disease than was the case."

Was it non-existent or were doctors not aware of it and called it something else?

I believe you are right about fructose. Almost all refined foods have stripped away vital nutrients as well put additives and preservatives into what we eat today. Combined with a reduction in physical activity has rendered us a junkfood society.

Funny thing, a while back I had a fight with a liberal about what they have done for us over the last 50 years. His answer was the FDA and all the good they did in protecting us. I submit that the FDA has caused us more problems then it was worth.

[jonrick46]

You may be correct about our lack of exercise in a day where we no longer have to hand wash our clothes on wash boards. What the research is looking at is how high sucrose corn syrup affects insulin secretion. It doesn't increase leptin production or suppress production of ghrelin. That suggests that consuming a lot of fructose, like consuming too much fat, could contribute to weight gain. There is a growing body of evidence linking plasma triglycerides to the "clogging" of your arteries, which may increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke. In fact, some researchers now think that plasma triglycerides levels may actually be more important than cholesterol levels in establishing your heart disease risk. Whether it actually does do this is not known because most of the studies have been conducted with animals. What effects on humans will require more studies. However, you and me can make sure that soft drink is burned off with more exercise to get that wash board stomach.