Sugar and Fat Are Both Bad for Your Liver and Pancreas
High-fructose diet is as detrimental as high-fat diet in the induction of insulin resistance and diabetes mediated by hepatic/pancreatic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
High-fructose diet caused the exact same level of pancreatic beta-cell damage as high-fat diet — despite no added fat in the fructose group.
Common belief: fat causes insulin resistance; sugar just causes weight gain. This study shows sugar alone can trigger the same deep cellular damage as fat.
Practical Takeaways
Cut back on sugary drinks and processed foods with high-fructose corn syrup — they may be doing as much damage to your pancreas as fried foods.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
High-fructose diet caused the exact same level of pancreatic beta-cell damage as high-fat diet — despite no added fat in the fructose group.
Common belief: fat causes insulin resistance; sugar just causes weight gain. This study shows sugar alone can trigger the same deep cellular damage as fat.
Practical Takeaways
Cut back on sugary drinks and processed foods with high-fructose corn syrup — they may be doing as much damage to your pancreas as fried foods.
Publication
Journal
Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
Year
2016
Authors
M. Balakumar, L. Raji, D. Prabhu, C. Sathishkumar, P. Prabu, V. Mohan, M. Balasubramanyam
Related Content
Claims (6)
When male rats eat a lot of sugar, their bodies have a harder time managing blood sugar and fats, just like when they eat a lot of fat — so both kinds of diets might mess up their metabolism in similar ways.
Eating too much fructose over a long time can mess up how your liver responds to insulin, making your body produce more insulin, cause body-wide inflammation, and raise fat levels in your blood—all of which raise your risk of heart disease.
When male rats eat a lot of sugar or fat, their liver and pancreas show signs of cellular stress — like their cells are overwhelmed — and this might be why they develop metabolic problems like obesity or diabetes.
When male rats eat a lot of sugar and fat, their bodies produce less of certain proteins that help control insulin and blood sugar, which might make it harder for them to manage energy properly.
When male rats eat a lot of sugar and fat, their liver and pancreas show signs that their cells are dying off more than usual, which might be why they develop metabolic problems like diabetes.