From Facebook on my professional page:
https://www.facebook.com/Ben-Dearman-292911537535405/
We have a personal TOP SECRET FB page we use for just our team. Recently I wrote a blog about fructose and specifically High Fructose Corn Syrup and it’s effects on insulin, leptin (satiety hormone) and to a degree gherlin (hunger hormone).
That is the first part.
This is Gina Leger, one of our coaches’ response to my article on our TOP SECRET KDR TEAM PAGE.
“Benjamin– your hormone and insulin article made me think that you were saying fruit does not increase insulin.. but that’s what i keep hearing.. I keep hearing not to have fruit in the am… because cortisol is high you want insulin to stay low.. Also, do people know what Fructose is in??”
So what gives?
1st – there are three main types of simple sugars (monosaccharides, i.e. the simplest form of a sugar compound…. IRRELEVANT!) – sucrose (table sugar), glucose (blood sugar) and fructose (fruit sugar).
Fruit is mostly composed of glucose and fructose, sometimes equal, some times very not equal. Glucose most assuredly DOES raise insulin
So – fruit, depending on the make up, does raise insulin and it’s safe to say that ALL fruit raises insulin because of the glucose present. But how much and to what degree? Fruit also has fiber which slows down the release of sugar into the blood stream, which also affects how much insulin is produced and at what rate.
2nd – Don’t have fruit in the AM because of cortisol being high? Indeed, your cortisol levels SHOULD be high in the AM for a number of reasons (Fasting, circadian rhythm, etc.) and cortisol DOES help us mobilize energy to be burned off (such as mobilizing fat to fuel your body). But…that’s a pretty poor statement.
3rd – Insulin (generally) drives cortisol down. Makes sense – insulin is released after a meal; cortisol is released during stressful times. It’s hard to eat when your running from something!
4th – Whether or not insulin is released (in this case) is directly related to the glucose content of the fruit in question as well as the quantity of fruit eaten. In addition, someone that is insulin resistant vs. insulin sensitive will also play into the equation. Not to mention someone’s body fat %! So…to say to NEVER have fruit at breakfast because of it’s effect on insulin/cortisol is a pretty ballsy blanket statement and in the grand scheme of things probably won’t make that much of a different one way or the other…especially with that extra large mocha coffee you have at break fast 😉
