Fructose interferes with brain's appetite regulation

Fructose interferes with brain's appetite regulation


(NaturalNews) Fructose fails to trigger activity in regions of the brain
associated with feelings of fullness and satiety, according to a
preliminary study conducted by researchers from Yale University and
published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In contrast, consumption of glucose leads directly to stimulation of those areas.

The
findings are of particular concern given the rising consumption of
fructose in recent decades, driven by the popularity of sugary
beverages, particularly those sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.

"These
findings support the conceptual framework that when the human brain is
exposed to fructose, neurobiological pathways involved in appetite
regulation are modulated, thereby promoting increased food intake,"
wrote Jonathan Q. Purnell and Damien A. Fair of Oregon Health &
Science University in an accompanying editorial.

"The
implications of the study .. as well as the mounting evidence from
epidemiologic, metabolic feeding, and animal studies, are that the
advances in food processing and economic forces leading to increased
intake of added sugar and accompanying fructose in U.S. society are
indeed extending the supersizing concept to the population's collective
waistlines," they wrote.

Does fructose trick the brain?

The
researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to monitor the
cerebral blood flow (CBF) to the hypothalamus after 20 participants
drank both glucose and fructose beverages.

They found that after
consumption of a glucose drink, CBF to the hypothalamus significantly
decreased, implying a reduction in appetite. In contrast, no such change
was seen following the consumption of fructose.

"Glucose
but not fructose ingestion reduced the activation of the hypothalamus,
insula, and striatum - brain regions that regulate appetite, motivation,
and reward processing; glucose ingestion also increased functional
connections between the hypothalamic-striatal network and increased
satiety," researchers wrote.

The researchers noted that consumption of fructose was associated with lower levels of the hormone inulin, which triggers satiety.

"Increases
in fructose consumption have paralleled the increasing prevalence of
obesity, and high-fructose diets are thought to promote weight gain and
insulin resistance," they wrote.

"Fructose ingestion produces
smaller increases in circulating satiety hormones compared with glucose
ingestion, and central administration of fructose provokes feeding in
rodents, whereas centrally administered glucose promotes satiety.

"Thus, fructose possibly increases food-seeking behavior and increases food intake."

Heart and liver damage

The
study is only the latest in a line of studies implicating fructose in
bypassing the brain's fullness and satiety mechanisms. In addition,
consumption of fructose has also been linked with other forms of health
damage.

For example, a study published in the journal Hepatology in
late 2012 found that consumption of fructose appears the affect the
availability of the energy-transferring chemical ATP in the liver,
thereby increasing the risk of liver cell malfunction and death.

Another study, published in the Journal of Nutrition
in early 2012, found that adolescents who consumed high levels of
fructose had lower blood levels of cardiovascular protective compounds,
such as HDL cholesterol and adiponectin. Higher consumption of fructose
led to higher levels of fat around the midsection, a significant risk
factor for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Source;-
http://www.naturalnews.com/039670_fructose_brain_appetite_regulation.html