Why Do Soft Drinks Make Us Fat?
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study conducted in mice provides evidence that drinking large amounts of beverages containing fructose adds body fat. The study may explain why sweetening with fructose may be worse than using other sweeteners.
Researchers from the University of Cincinnati allowed mice to freely consume water, fructose-sweetened water or soft drinks. Even though these animals decreased the amount of calories they consumed from solid food, they found increased body fat in mice that consumed fructose-sweetened water and soft drinks.
This finding suggests the total amount of calories consumed when fructose is added to diets may not be the only explanation for weight gain. Instead, consuming fructose appears to affect metabolic rate in a way that favors fat storage.
Sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup are commonly found in foods and drinks such as carbonated soft drinks, some juices and cereals.
The researchers say further studies in humans are needed to determine if high-fructose corn syrup in soft drinks is directly responsible for the current increase in human obesity.
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study conducted in mice provides evidence that drinking large amounts of beverages containing fructose adds body fat. The study may explain why sweetening with fructose may be worse than using other sweeteners.
Researchers from the University of Cincinnati allowed mice to freely consume water, fructose-sweetened water or soft drinks. Even though these animals decreased the amount of calories they consumed from solid food, they found increased body fat in mice that consumed fructose-sweetened water and soft drinks.
This finding suggests the total amount of calories consumed when fructose is added to diets may not be the only explanation for weight gain. Instead, consuming fructose appears to affect metabolic rate in a way that favors fat storage.
Sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup are commonly found in foods and drinks such as carbonated soft drinks, some juices and cereals.
The researchers say further studies in humans are needed to determine if high-fructose corn syrup in soft drinks is directly responsible for the current increase in human obesity.