{"id":7974,"date":"2026-04-17T19:29:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T19:29:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/?p=7974"},"modified":"2026-04-17T19:29:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T19:29:08","slug":"healthy-natural-sugar-can-increase-risk-of-dangerous-metabolic-diseases-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/?p=7974","title":{"rendered":"‘Healthy’ natural sugar can increase risk of dangerous metabolic diseases, study finds"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By EMILY JOSHU STERNE, US ASSISTANT HEALTH EDITOR<\/a> <\/p>\n

Published:<\/span>

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Natural sugar found in healthy fruits may actually fuel metabolic diseases like diabetes<\/a> and liver disease, a study suggests.<\/p>\n

Fructose is a simple sugar naturally found in fruits, vegetables and honey. It also makes up about half of table sugar and can be converted into high fructose corn syrup in ultra-processed foods like soda and candy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Fructose has long been seen as a ‘healthier’ alternative to added sugar because it has a lower glycemic index, meaning blood sugar does not spike as much as it does with glucose, which helps maintain energy levels without crashes.<\/p>\n

But researchers in Colorado have found that fructose may increase fat synthesis, depleting the body of energy and fueling metabolic diseases.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Using data from cell, animal and human studies, the researchers found that unlike glucose, which gets converted into fuel that the body uses as energy, fructose bypasses key steps in the body’s energy-processing pathways.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Instead, the team believes fructose tells the body to store fat and conserve energy, which was the result of evolution to ward off famines.<\/p>\n

But in modern times, that extra fat storage raises cholesterol, triggers inflammation and increases weight.<\/p>\n

The researchers are now arguing that these mechanisms contribute to increasing rates of metabolic diseases in the US such as diabetes, liver disease and obesity.<\/p>\n

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Researchers in Colorado have determined that fructose may contribute to diseases such as obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure (stock image)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n