Less sugar, live longer?

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

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Some nutrition purists consider sugar to be the purest poison. However, it has not yet been conclusively proven that high sugar consumption can actually make you sick. At least the reverse has now been achieved: people who have difficulty absorbing sugar from the intestines stay healthier.

Sugar has long been suspected of making you sick when consumed in excess. Various large studies show that those who eat a lot of sugar carry a higher risk of various chronic diseases - for example diabetes. But that is not clear proof that sugar is really the culprit.

Mutations slow down the transport of sugar in the intestine

Now researchers have shown that less sugar is good for your metabolism and reduces the risk of various diseases and premature death. To do this, they examined people who inherently take in little sugar - due to a genetic peculiarity.

A total of three mutations mean that the receptor molecule SGLT-1 does not work properly in the intestine. It plays a central role in sugar utilization by moving sugar from the intestines into the bloodstream. People with the corresponding mutations therefore consume significantly less sugar throughout their life.

Advantage for poor sugar users

Various studies provided the researchers with data, including the so-called ARIC cohort with almost 8,500 participants. 16 percent of the European and 7.5 percent of the African-born recruits were poor sugar users.

The researchers found that the mutation carriers had lower levels of glucose in their blood after meals. They were less likely to be obese than participants without the gene mutation and less likely to develop a preliminary stage of diabetes - a so-called prediabetes.

The researchers calculated what a 20 mg / dl reduction in blood sugar level would mean for future health: over a period of 25 years, the risk of obesity would then be 57 percent lower, the risk of diabetes 42 percent lower and the risk of one Heart failure by 47 percent. The risk of premature death would also be correspondingly reduced: it would be 34 percent lower.

The study supports the recommendation not to consume too much sugar. However, the researchers also encourage the development of active substances that slow down the function of SGLT-1 in the intestine. "That could enable therapies that reduce the harmful consequences of a Western diet," they write.

Glucose is not only found in table sugar

Table sugar (sucrose) is broken down in the intestine into a glucose and a fructose molecule. But there is also glucose in milk sugar (lactose) and starch, such as those found in bread, muesli, pasta, potatoes and rice.

Nutritionists recommend consuming little of foods that cause blood sugar levels to rise quickly. These include white flour products, sweets and sweet fruits. In contrast, all types of vegetables and whole grain products are particularly recommended as carbohydrate suppliers.

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