Fructose has been identified as a central contributor to obesity and related diseases such as diabetes and fatty liver disease, according to researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. A study published in Philosophical Transactions highlights how fructose lowers active energy, stimulates food intake, and damages mitochondria. The study also found that fructose can lead to weight gain, insulin resistance, elevated blood pressure, and other metabolic issues. The researchers argue that fructose plays a specific role in driving obesity and diabetes, tracing its effects back to our ancestors and hibernating animals. News-Medical.net reported

Fructose Identified as Central Conduit to Obesity, Study Finds

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have discovered that fructose plays a crucial role in driving obesity and related diseases such as diabetes and fatty liver disease. A study published in the journal Philosophical Transactions presents a comprehensive argument on how fructose affects weight gain and metabolism.

Dr. Richard Johnson, the lead author of the study and a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, explains that fructose works differently than other nutrients by lowering active energy. He states, “We determine a recently discovered function of fructose in survival that stores fuel in case resources become scarce. This is known as the ‘survival switch’.”

In Western society, fructose is primarily consumed as table sugar and high fructose corn syrup, which differ from the fructose found naturally in fruits. The researchers believe that fructose damages mitochondria and lowers active energy, leading to weight gain and metabolic issues.

The study reveals that fructose stimulates food intake and reduces resting energy metabolism, similar to an animal preparing to hibernate. Additionally, the administration of fructose can result in insulin resistance, elevated blood pressure, and fatty liver. These findings support the hypothesis that fructose has a central role in the development of obesity and diabetes.

Dr. Johnson emphasizes the significance of this research, stating, “This is a very exciting, new hypothesis that unites other hypotheses to point to the specific role fructose plays in the onset of obesity. And we can trace it back to our ancestors, as well as learn from hibernating animals, exactly how fructose causes this ‘switch’ within us.”

The study provides valuable insights into the impact of fructose on obesity and metabolic disorders. By understanding the mechanisms behind fructose-induced weight gain, researchers hope to develop targeted interventions to combat obesity and improve public health.

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