April 20, 2024

The Bitter Truth of Added Sugar: What Overconsumption of Fructose Can Do to Our Body

Fructose, frequently included to sweet foods and drinks is a major reason for metabolic conditions. A CMJ review now discusses the procedure of fructose metabolic process in detail, supplying insights on how fructose-induced diseases can be dealt with. Credit: Chinese Medical Journal
Scientists from China, thus, sought to understand the fate of dietary fructose in the body and pathways managing its metabolism, in a comprehensive evaluation released in the Chinese Medical Journal. Explaining the medical ramifications of their research study, Prof. Weiping J. Zhang, matching author of the study, states, “Our review offers a detailed upgrade on the development on molecular and cellular elements of fructose metabolic process and their role in the development of metabolic diseases. These findings can help the advancement of brand-new diagnostic, preventative, and therapeutic techniques for metabolic illness.”
The scientists begin by describing that the majority of the fructose that we consume is absorbed by cells lining the intestine. Protein transporters called GLUT5 and GLUT2, expressed by intestinal tract cells, facilitate this absorption, with GLUT5 revealing the highest affinity to fructose. Remarkably, these receptors are managed in action to fructose levels, and thus, GLUT5 shortage can lead to fructose malabsorption and digestive dysfunction. Research studies in mice have revealed that removal of GLUT5 can trigger digestive problems like gas and fluid accumulation. This is why, GLUT5 is a potential drug candidate for certain fructose-induced diseases.
New evaluation discusses how overconsumption of fructose, a common additive in sweetened beverages and foods, can add to diseases. Credit: Chinese Medical Journal
Now when fructose gets in circulation, its levels in the blood (albeit much lower than glucose) are kept at bay by the kidney and liver, both crucial metabolic hubs in our body. The scientists further discuss that fructose intake can likewise trigger an increase in cholesterol levels and abdominal fat, increasing the threat of heart disorders.
Next, the research study discusses gene-level changes that control fructose metabolism. A protein called “ChREBP” is a crucial regulator of genes associated with the absorption, transport, and destruction of sugars. Animal studies in ChREBP-deficient mice now recommend that ChREBP is important for fructose absorption and clearance. The molecular mechanisms controling ChREBP activation in response to fructose stimulation, however, stay less comprehended. Prof. Zhang explains, “Obtaining a much better understanding of the biochemical regulatory system of ChREBP pathway can definitely provide new hints into the policy of fructose metabolism and its metabolic results. Future advances in this field will benefit our efforts to achieve better cardiometabolic health and notify clinical suggestions on the dietary intake of sugar.”
In general, these findings shed light on how an increase in fructose usage can lead to an imbalance in various metabolic pathways in our body and consequently trigger numerous diseases.
Undoubtedly, what we eat plays a big function in our total health!
Recommendation: “Fructose and metabolic diseases: excessive to be great” by Shi, Ya-Nan; Liu, Ya-Jin; Xie, Zhifang and Zhang, Weiping J., 5 June 2021, Chinese Medical Journal.DOI: 10.1097/ CM9.0000000000001545.

An extensive evaluation explains how overconsumption of fructose, a common additive in sweetened foods and drinks, can contribute to diseases. Credit: Chinese Medical Journal
Comprehensive review discusses how overconsumption of fructose, a typical additive in sweetened beverages and foods, can contribute to diseases.
This shift in dietary trends, accompanied by an inactive way of life, has actually been associated to the increase in different metabolic conditions like diabetes, fatty liver illness, and heart illness. The worrying thing about sugar is that the more you eat it, the more you crave it– leading to a vicious cycle of extreme sugar intake and poor health.
These simple sugars are structurally comparable to each other, they are metabolized through various pathways in the body. And while excessive fructose intake (even within “typical” varieties, to some extent) has actually been revealed to be harmful for us, the hidden systems behind fructose metabolic process and their prospective role in metabolic conditions have not been completely understood so far.

A CMJ review now describes the process of fructose metabolic process in detail, offering insights on how fructose-induced diseases can be taken on. Discussing the scientific implications of their research study, Prof. Weiping J. Zhang, corresponding author of the research study, states, “Our review supplies a thorough update on the development on molecular and cellular elements of fructose metabolic process and their role in the advancement of metabolic diseases. Interestingly, these receptors are regulated in reaction to fructose levels, and therefore, GLUT5 deficiency can result in fructose malabsorption and digestive tract dysfunction. Prof. Zhang discusses, “Obtaining a better understanding of the biochemical regulative mechanism of ChREBP path can certainly provide new ideas into the regulation of fructose metabolism and its metabolic impacts.

And while extreme fructose intake (even within “typical” varieties, to some degree) has actually been shown to be hazardous for us, the hidden mechanisms behind fructose metabolic process and their possible function in metabolic disorders have actually not been completely understood so far.