FRUCTOSE AND MENTAL FITNESS
TTP’s Live Long and Prosper column is dedicated to the memory of Durk who wrote as Skye for many years. Here we discuss why Durk and his life-long partner/wife Sandy used fructose – pure natural fruit sugar – in their formulas.
Pure fructose is very different from the abhorrent “high-fructose corn syrup” (HFCS) which is in so many processed foods and drinks. HFCS has a high and unhealthy “glycemic index” of 68, meaning it causes a fast release of insulin. Habitual intake of high glycemic index foods and drinks is a principal cause of diabetes.
Pure fructose, on the other hand, has a glycemic index of 20, lower than lentils at 30. A very healthy sugar!
When formulating Lift™ and Mind™, Durk and Sandy didn’t select ingredients for convenience or flavor—they chose each component based on how it could optimize brain chemistry and energy metabolism. Fructose was no exception.
Rather than using common sugars like glucose or sucrose, much less HFCS, they incorporated fructose for its unique physiological properties that aligned with their mission: to support mental focus, neurotransmitter synthesis, and sustained energy without the blood sugar rollercoaster. Their decision reflected a deep understanding of biochemistry and a commitment to designing formulas that work with the body’s systems for maximum cognitive benefit.
Durk and Sandy used fructose in Lift™ and Mind™ for very specific scientific and physiological reasons that aligned with their goals for enhancing brain function and energy:
1. Support for Dopamine/Noradrenaline Synthesis
Fructose helps promote the uptake of phenylalanine and tyrosine into the brain, two amino acids critical for the production of dopamine and noradrenaline.
They are also key neurotransmitters for alertness, focus, and mood. When combined with B5, C, and other cofactors in Lift and Mind, fructose plays a role in making this conversion more effective.
2. Low Glycemic Impact Compared to Glucose
Fructose has a 80% lower glycemic index than glucose or sucrose, which means it causes a slower, more stable rise in blood sugar. This avoids the spike-and-crash effect of high-glycemic sugars, providing more sustained mental energy—a priority in Durk and Sandy’s formulas.
3. Metabolized Primarily in the Liver
Because fructose is primarily metabolized in the liver, it doesn’t trigger a large insulin response. This allowed Durk and Sandy to design a formula that supports brain energy metabolism without the insulin-induced crashes that can follow high-sugar consumption. By bypassing the insulin surge, fructose helps maintain a steadier flow of energy to the brain—critical for sustained mental performance.
4. Taste and Solubility
Fructose is sweeter than glucose and dissolves well in water. This made it useful for creating a palatable, easy-to-mix drink that didn’t require large amounts of sweetener.
They chose every ingredient based on biochemical function, neurotransmitter support, and metabolic efficiency, not just taste. Fructose, in moderate doses and within the context of a nutraceutical formula, fit their objectives for optimizing mental performance without overstimulating insulin or creating sugar highs and crashes.
Life Priority teamed up with life extension scientists, Durk & Sandy ® to market and develop a full line of healthy products called Designer Foods to improve and enhance your cognitive function, which spans not only memory, but attention, learning, problem solving, decision making, and reasoning.
Each new day presents challenges that, if not met and overcome, may leave you less fit mentally to control your life . . . to achieve your financial goals . . . to set the stage for pursuing your personal happiness.
By starting each day with a cool, refreshing glass of delicious Lift™ (or Lift Caps™) or Mind™, you can embrace a lifelong “Mental Fitness” program.
Live Long & Prosper… Greg & Michelle
Greg and Michelle Pryor are the owners of Life Priority, a licensee of Pearson & Shaw nutritional formulas. They are long time subscribers to TTP.