When fructose is present in too large quantities in the body, it hinders the metabolism of glucose, one of the fuels of neurons. Over time, this progressive loss of energy would prevent the brain from keeping the neurons in working order.
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- Excess fructose would be harmful to our health and would be responsible for Alzheimer’s disease.
- When our liver encounters fructose, it creates uric acid.
- Too much fructose prevents the metabolism of glucose, essential for our neurons. Eventually, there isn’t enough glucose for our brains to keep them all alive.
Alzheimer’s disease scares a lot of people. A study by researchers from the University of Colorado (United States) published on September 11, 2020 in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscienceindicates that Alzheimer’s disease is largely due to our western lifestyle, which has resulted in excessive metabolism of fructose in the brain.
One of the mainstays of Western food
The two main sources of simple sugar present in our diet are glucose and fructose. Glucose, in the form of carbohydrate, is usually found in bread, rice and potatoes, while fructose is present in fruits and honey. Regarding the other sugars that we can add, whether white sugar or the sugars present in processed products, they also contain glucose and fructose. According to various studies, the consumption of sugar represents 15% of the calories ingested, but this can reach 25% are populations across the globe.
According to the researchers’ hypothesis, Alzheimer’s disease is a modern pathology in Western culture, which stems from a chronic disorder of fructose metabolism. Alzheimer’s disease is thought to be caused by high levels of fructose in the brain. This would also help explain why Alzheimer’s disease is associated with diabetes and obesity.
“In essence, we propose that Alzheimer’s disease is a modern disease induced by changes in dietary lifestyle in which fructose can disrupt brain metabolism and neuronal functions”says Richard Johnson, a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Too much fructose
For this experiment, the researchers were interested in the role of fructose on our body. In essence, through evolution, fructose has amplified the response to uric acid during its metabolism. If on the one hand, this allowed our ancestors to store fat better, nowadays the levels of fructose that we ingest are such that it becomes harmful to our health.
Metabolizing fructose in our liver releases uric acid. This uric acid has deleterious effects for the body when produced in excessive quantities. Similarly, the metabolism of fructose disrupts that of glucose, which is one of our sources of energy for our muscles and our brain. Glucose is also the fuel used by our neurons.
Thus, if the production of energy for our body is hindered, it leads to a progressive loss of the energy levels necessary for our brain to manage to maintain our neurons functional and viable.
“By exposing consistent evidence, we hope to inspire researchers to continue exploring the relationship between fructose in the brain and Alzheimer’s disease. New treatments aimed at inhibiting intracerebral fructose metabolism could provide a new way to prevent and treat this disease”, concludes Richard Johnson.
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