A drastic increase in dietary sugar consumption in the western world during the past four decades has been paralleled by epidemics of obesity and metabolic syndrome, suggesting a cause-and-effect relationship. Yet the relative contribution of
individual sugars — as opposed to total caloric intake — to this epidemic remains controversial. For instance, increased intake of fructose, which is enriched in soft drinks and processed foods, has been proposed to greatly contribute to these disorders. However, this proposal has not been universally embraced2
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