In a new study, researchers found that even moderate amounts of added fructose and sucrose double the body’s own fat production in the liver.
In the long term, this contributes to the development of diabetes or a fatty liver.
The research was conducted by a team the University of Zurich and the University Hospital Zurich.
Sugar is added to many common foodstuffs, and people in Switzerland consume more than 100 grams of it every day.
The high-calorie content of sugar causes excessive weight and obesity, and the associated diseases.
In the study, the team tested 94 healthy young men. 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 drinks contained either fructose, glucose or sucrose (table sugar which is a combination of fructose and glucose).
The researchers then used tracers to analyze the effect of sugary drinks on lipid metabolism.
They found 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.
80 grams of sugar daily, which is equivalent to about 0,8 liters of a normal soft drink, boosts fat production in the liver.
And the overactive fat production continues for a longer period of time, even if no more sugar is consumed.
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 the 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.
The study is published in the Journal of Hepatology. One author of the study is Philipp Gerber.
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