An article in the Journal of Clinical Investigation provides evidence that consuming large amounts of sugar, especially fructose, is associated with metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. The investigators reached this conclusion by working with both human liver samples and animal models. The number of people with diabetes is growing. The the American Diabetes Association estimates that over 29 million people in America have this disorder, and an additional 86 million have prediabetes, and as many as 90 percent are unaware of their risk. However, scientists wonder whether eating excessive sugar is the major driver of diabetes. There has long been a debate on this issue in the academic world. According to Mark Herman, who is a researcher at Duke University School of Medicine and who is the lead author of this paper, some scientists believed that eating sugar is not responsible for the prevalence of diabetes, but others suggested that too much sugar is a main contributor. In this study, Herman's team found evidence that consuming excessive fructose is harmful. Insulin is a peptide hormone that lowers the level of glucose in the blood. Insulin resistance, a pathological condition, occurs when cells don't respond to insulin, and it has been identified as a precursor to developing type 2 diabetes. But what was found in the new study is somewhat different from previous theories. Herman's team discovered that insulin resistance might result from the extra sugar in the liver that activates the ChREBP protein. ChREBP, also known as MLXIPL, plays a key role in regulating glucose metabolism and de novo lipogenesis in metabolic tissues and cancer cells. The ChREBP protein in the liver is activated after consuming fructose, a sugar in fruits and vegetables, as well as in processed foods and beverages such as soda. Herman and colleagues discovered that fructose indirectly stimulates the liver to generate glucose, increasing blood glucose levels. In this case, even though the pancreas produce lots of insulin, insulin is still unable to control glucose production. Herman explained that this would ultimately cause blood sugar and insulin levels to increase, leading to insulin resistance. ChREBP and other proteins like Recombinant DRD1 are offered by Flarebio.
