It’s a sugar that naturally exists in fruits and vegetables–yet researchers now say it could make you fat.
According to new research from the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois, eating a diet where 18 percent of the calories come from fructose–about the average intake of a male adolescent–can cause significant weight gain regardless of the actual calorie intake. It can also promote physical inactivity and accumulation of body fat, putting people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes as well.
The findings are published in the current issue of Scientific Reports.
“The link between increases in sugar intake, particularly fructose, and the rising obesity epidemic has been debated for many years with no clear conclusions,” says Catarina Rendeiro, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral research affiliate at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois. “The reality is that people are not only consuming more fructose through their diets, but also consuming more calories in general.”
Working alongside researchers from Beckman Institute’s NeuroTech Group, researchers split a group of laboratory mice into two groups to receive two different diet plans. The first group ate a diet where 18 percent of the calories came from fructose, which most male adolescents in America consume. The other group ate a diet where 18 percent of the calories came from a different sugar, glucose. Both groups continued this diet for 2.5 months.
Researchers then examined certain health markers, including weight gain and signs of obesity.
As it turned out, the fructose-fed mice gained a significant amount of weight–as well as body fat and liver mass. They also appeared to be less physically active, though researchers were unsure if it had to do with their weight gain or the effects of fructose on their energy levels.
Still, the findings are worrying to researchers.
“The important thing to note is that animals in both experimental groups had the usual intake of calories for a mouse,” says Rendeiro. “They were not eating more than they should, and both groups had exactly the same amount of calories deriving from sugar, the only difference was the type of sugar, either fructose or glucose.”
While researchers emphasize these results don’t necessarily imply it could occur or even be replicated in humans, it does show preliminary evidence that it is possible.
What This Means For You
Fructose gets a bad rap for being an obesity trigger–and now even more evidence shows that could be true. To keep your risk low, it’s best to keep your fructose consumption low; while a little won’t hurt, fructose in excess could make you fat, regardless of how many calories you consume.
Readers: What do you think of fructose? Is it good or bad?
Source:
Researchers Find Fructose Contributes to Weight Gain, Physical Inactivity, and Body Fat (Press Release) – EurekAlert.org
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