A new study shows that high levels of fructose-containing foods appear to alter the cells in the digestive tract. Such changes mean that more nutrients can be absorbed in the intestines. The study results could show the connection between theOverconsumption of fructoseand the increase in certain types of cancer and obesity.
How too many foods containing fructose affect the gastrointestinal tract
The research team focused primarily on how excessively consumed foods rich in fructose affect villi. The latter are thin, hair-like structures that line the interior of the small intestine. Villi also expand the surface area of the intestines and help the body absorb nutrients, including dietary fats, from food as it passes through the digestive tract. The study found that mice that received high levels of fructose in their diet had villi that were 25 to 40 percent longer. Additionally, the increase in the length of their villi was associated with increased nutrient intake, weight gain and fat accumulation in the animals. Fructose is structurally different from other sugars such as glucose and is metabolized differently, according to the study authors. The new research found that the primary metabolite of fructose promotes the elongation of villi, thereby supporting the growth of intestinal tumors. The specific fructose-1-phosphate accumulated due to thehigh fructose content altered metabolismin high concentrations.
According to the study authors, the human gastrointestinal tract is not entirely suitable for modern types of food. However, added fructose is almost ubiquitous in the modern diet, whether fructose-containing foods come from corn syrup, table sugar, or natural food sources such as fruit. However, the researchers also emphasize that fructose itself is not harmful to the intestines. It's more of a problem of overconsumption. The human body is not designed to consume excessive amounts of it. Future research should confirm that the results in mice can be transferred to humans. There are already drugs for other purposes in clinical trials that target the enzyme responsible for the production of fructose-1-phosphate. The authorsthis studyhope to find a way to reuse these agents to shrink villi, reduce fat absorption and potentially slow tumor growth in the process.
