A recent study from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has identified fructose, a naturally occurring sugar in fruits and vegetables, as a significant contributor to the worldwide obesity problem. The researchers label fructose as a key factor in obesity.

Natural fruit sugar can cause obesity

Although it is not the first study associating fructose with obesity, the latest research has compiled a substantial body of research to meticulously establish a comprehensive rationale for the manner in which fructose contributes to the escalation of body weight and interconnected ailments such as diabetes and hepatic steatosis.

The study’s lead author Richard Johnson said that their study was a comprehensive analysis of a hypothesis which positions natural factors as pivotal in the context of weight gain. The investigation delves into the distinct mechanisms through which fructose operates in contrast to alternative nutrients, inducing a reduction in active energy levels. He added that they determine the latest discovery of fructose’s function in survival through fuel storage in the event resources are scarce through a process called “survival switch.”

Fructose which is the primary natural sweetener in fruits has been historically consumed in the form of table sugar and high fructose corn syrup in Western societies. This differs from the nutrition consumed by our ancestors prior to winter. Professor Johnson and his team’s theory suggests that fructose affects energy levels and harms mitochondria unlike other nutrients.

Fructose triggers increased food intake

The research demonstrates that fructose prompts increased eating and reduced energy metabolism, akin to preparing for hibernation. Additionally, the study reveals that fructose consumption can lead to weight gain, higher blood pressure, insulin resistance, and fatty liver, among other connected metabolic problems.

Professor Johnson conclude that their research compiles the comprehensive reasoning behind the potential involvement of fructose in driving diabetes and obesity. Presenting an innovative and fresh conjecture, this concept combines with other existing hypotheses, directing attention towards the precise function of fructose in initiating obesity. Furthermore, researchers can gain insights from the behavior of hibernating creatures to elucidate the mechanism through which fructose triggers this transformative process within our physiology.