Human Brain Could Transform Glucose Into Deadly Fructose

Fructose is not only obtained through consumption of foods rich in sugar, but a new study suggests that the brain can produce it as well. People with an extremely elevated level of fructose are at high risk of type II diabetes and obesity.

The brain converts its own supply of energy into the sugar. This in an excess amount has harmful effects in the body. In addition, people with junk-food diets have an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, scientists claimed.

To find evidence, researchers from Yale University scanned the brains of eight healthy participants while they are receiving glucose via an IV drop. Using a special visualizing tool, researchers recognized an elevated brain glucose level after only 10 minutes, LiveScience reported.

Researchers also found more elevated levels of fructose in the brain believing that it resulted from the brain responses known as the polyol pathway. This process transforms glucose, which is the body's energy source into another sugar called sorbitol then to fructose.

In addition, the blood-glucose level was also measured, the study published in the journal JCI Insight said. According to Daily Mail, researchers learned that fructose level in the blood is, likewise, slightly increased, but it’s only detectable after almost an hour-and-a-half.

"In this study, we show for the first time that fructose can be produced in the human brain. By showing that fructose in the brain is not simply due to dietary consumption of fructose; we've shown fructose can be generated from any sugar you eat. It adds another dimension to understanding fructose's effects on the brain," Dr. Janice Hwang said.

Fructose is generally used in the food industry, and a research last month discovered that it turns harmful when supplemented synthetically. It's been neutralized when present in fruits and vegetables. However, it became useless when manufactured into other products, according to Spanish scientists.

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