The effects of sugar go far beyond just packing us full of empty calories and making us fat. The high calorie content of sugar causes excessive weight and obesity, and the associated diseases. But too much sugar has other harmful effects if consumed regularly.
Researchers at the University of Zurich and the University Hospital Zurich have been investigating these effects. Compared to previous studies their results show that even moderate amounts of any sort of sugar lead to a change in the metabolism of test participants. Ninety-four healthy young men took part in the study. Every day for a period of seven weeks, they consumed a drink sweetened with different types of sugar, while the control group did not. The researchers then used tracers (labeled substances that can be traced as they move through the body) to analyze the effect of the sugary drinks on the lipid (aka, fat) metabolism.
The good news? If one of your life goals is developing fatty liver disease or type 2 diabetes, sugar can help!
Overall, the participants did not consume more calories than before the study. Nevertheless, the researchers observed that fructose has a negative effect: "The body's own fat production in the liver was twice as high in the fructose group as in the glucose group or the control group - and this was still the case more than twelve hours after the last meal or sugar consumption," says Phillip Gerber, MD, the lead researcher. Particularly surprising was that the sugar we most commonly consume, sucrose, boosted fat synthesis slightly more than the same amount of fructose. Until now, it was thought that fructose was most likely to cause such changes.
Increased fat production in the liver is a significant first step in the development of common diseases such as fatty liver and type-2 diabetes. From a health perspective, the World Health Organization recommends limiting daily sugar consumption to around 50 grams or, even better, 25 grams.
Do you even have a clue what your daily consumption is?
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