Hyderabad: TIFR study flags harmful effects of sugar-sweetened beverages on humans

Sheds light on how chronic sucrose-water intake altered key physiological, molecular, and metabolic processes across various organs, leading to diabetes and obesity

Hyderabad: The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) Mumbai and Hyderabad researchers flagged the harmful effects, such as diabetes and obesity, of consuming sugar-sweetened beverages on human health.

The study, published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, sheds light on how chronic sucrose-water intake (10 percent) altered key physiological, molecular, and metabolic processes across various organs, driving the onset of diseases such as diabetes and obesity.

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The research employed a physiologically relevant model in which mice were given 10 percent sucrose water, mimicking chronic human SSB consumption.

Researchers conducted detailed analyses of molecular, cellular, and metabolic responses in multiple tissues under fed and fasted conditions, including the liver, muscles, and small intestine.

According to research, the small intestine is a major contributor to systemic glucose imbalances.

Excessive sucrose consumption caused a “molecular addiction” in the intestinal lining, leading to disproportionate absorption of glucose over other essential nutrients such as amino acids and fats.

This nutrient uptake imbalance disrupts energy metabolism and amplifies the dysfunction of other organs like the liver and muscles, the researchers said.

The research work also demonstrated distinct anabolic and catabolic responses in fed versus fasted states due to chronic sucrose intake, the researchers said, adding that the imbalance further underscored how nutrient allocation and resource mobilization contribute to systemic metabolic disorders.

The findings stressed the urgent need for policies and awareness campaigns to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, particularly among vulnerable populations.