- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Air Pollution May Raise Blood Pressure
- 'Safe' Ozone Levels May Not Be for Some
- Obesity May Raise Kids' Allergy Risk
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Ginger Can Ease Nausea From Chemotherapy Treatments
- Bitter Melon Extract May Slow, Stop Breast Cancer
- Imaging Sheds Light on How Acupuncture Works
- ANIMAL CARE
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Safe Toys for Dogs
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- BONES & JOINTS
- Health Tip: Alleviating Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Using a Balloon to Repair a Broken Back
- Vitamin D Plus Calcium Guards Against Fractures
- CANCER
- Get to Know the Pap Test
- More Americans Urged to Get Cancer Screenings
- Smokeout '08: The Perfect Time to Quit
- CAREGIVING
- Timing May Matter in Organ Donation Decisions
- Late-Life Fatherhood May Lower Child's Intelligence
- Obese Children More Likely to Suffer Lower Body Injuries
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Night Shift Work Hard on the Heart
- Salt Boosts Blood Pressure in High-Risk Patients
- Migraines in Pregnancy Boost Vascular Risks
- COSMETIC
- With Psoriasis, the Internet May Offer Hope
- Gum Chewing May Cut Craving for Snacks
- What to Do If You Have Unsightly Veins
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Dental Implants Need More Work Than Root Canals
- Most Insured Adults Worry About Health Care Costs: Poll
- Rheumatoid Arthritis May Harm Gums
- DIABETES
- Older Diabetics With Depression Face Higher Death Rate
- Abnormal Heart Rhythm Boosts Death Risk for Diabetics
- Poor Blood Sugar Control After Heart Surgery Impacts Outcomes
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Oregano Shown to be the Most Powerful Culinary Herb
- Is Coffee Good or Bad for Your Health?
- The Raw Food Diet
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Disinfectants Can Boost Bacteria's Resistance to Treatment
- U.S. Diet Needs Heart-Felt Overhaul
- Dementia Underestimated in Developing Countries
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Thyroid Problems Boost Glaucoma Risk
- Certain Diabetes Drugs May Pose Eye Risk
- Eye Test Could Spot Diabetes Vision Trouble Early
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- New Yogurt May Ease Stomach Ulcers
- Japanese Herbals May Ease Gastro Woes
- Olive Oil May Protect Against Bowel Disease
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Toxins May Form When Skin, Indoor Ozone Meet
- Family Medicine Cabinet Top Source Of Kid's Poisonings
- Multivitamins Might Prolong Life
- HEAD & NECK
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Study Suggests Link Between Cell Phones and Brain Tumors
- The Internet Is Becoming One-Stop Shopping for Health Help
- E-Mailing Your Way to Healthier Habits
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Small Cuts in Salt Intake Spur Big Drops in Heart Trouble
- Vigorous Exercise Cuts Stroke Risk for Men, Not Women
- Estrogen May Help Men's Hearts
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Older Adults May Have Some Immunity to Swine Flu
- The HPV Vaccine: Preventative Medicine or Human Sacrifice?
- Surgical Masks Could Prevent Flu, Maybe
- KID'S HEALTH
- Dangerous Toys Still on Store Shelves, Report Finds
- Quick Orthopedic Repair Can Save Young Shoulders
- Meaningful Conversations Boost Kids' Language Skills
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Physical Activity May Prolong Survival After Colon Cancer
- Sunlight May Help Protect Men From Kidney Cancer
- Soy Linked to Low Sperm Count
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Optimism May Boost Immune System
- Keeping a Healthy Holiday Balance
- Using the Mind to Heal the Heart
- PREGNANCY
- Alternative Treatments May Boost IVF Success
- Before Conceiving, Take Folic Acid for One Full Year
- Sleeping Could Help Women Lose The Baby Fat
- SENIORS
- Video Gaming Just Might Fight Aging
- Tai Chi May Help Ward Off Knee Pain in Seniors
- More Whole Grains May Mean Less Fat
Gene Explains How High-Fructose Diets Lead to Insulin Resistance
By eHolistic.com Published: 03/06/2009
FRIDAY, March 6 (HealthDay News) -- A gene called PGC-1b appears to play a role in insulin resistance that can be caused by consuming large amounts of high-fructose corn syrup, a sweetener found in most sodas and many processed foods.
Researchers found that mice fed a high-fructose diet were protected from insulin resistance when PGC-1b activity was blocked in the rodents' liver and fat tissue. The findings were published in the March issue of Cell Metabolism.
"There has been a remarkable increase in consumption of high-fructose corn syrup," Gerald Shulman, of the Yale School of Medicine, said in a journal news release. "Fructose is much more readily metabolized to fat in the liver than glucose is, and, in the process, can lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)," which, in turn, leads to hepatic insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
High-fructose corn syrup -- a mixture of the simple sugars fructose and glucose -- came into use in the 1970s. By 2005, the average American consumed about 60 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup a year.
The study authors said their findings indicate that PGC-1b plays an important role in the development of fructose-induced insulin resistance. The gene may offer a target for new drugs to treat insulin resistance, NAFLD and hypertriglyceridemia, they concluded.
In an accompanying commentary, two experts said the study shows that PGC-1b is "a missing link between fructose intake and metabolic disorders."
"The findings ... support the emerging role of gene/environment interaction in modulating the metabolic phenotype and disease pathogenesis. Thus, perturbations of the same regulatory motif may produce vastly different metabolic responses, depending on the specific combinations of dietary nutrients," wrote Carlos Hernandez and Jiandie Lin of the University of Michigan Medical Center, in Ann Arbor.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has more about insulin resistance.
-- Robert Preidt
SOURCE: Cell Press, news release, March 3, 2009
Last Updated: March 06, 2009
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