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

Consuming large amounts of fructose is linked to higher levels of fat around internal organs and reduced ability to regulate blood sugar.

In male Wistar rats, diets high in fructose and fat reduce the activity of specific genes that control insulin production and liver glucose output, resulting in disrupted glucose metabolism in the pancreas and liver.

In male Wistar rats, diets high in fructose and fat increase levels of caspase-3 protein and CHOP gene activity in the liver and pancreas.

In male Wistar rats, a diet high in fructose causes glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and endoplasmic reticulum stress to the same degree as a diet high in fat, suggesting fructose and fat trigger metabolic disease through similar biological mechanisms.

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, 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.