An overactive sweet tooth may spell trouble for our cellular powerplants


Date:
August 3, 2021
Source:
Van Andel Research Institute
Summary:
The average American eats roughly 22 teaspoons of added sugar a
day - - more than three times the recommended amount for women
and more than double the recommended amount for men. Although
this overconsumption is known to contribute to diabetes and other
disorders, the exact ways in which eating too much sugar sets
the stage for metabolic diseases on a cellular level has been
less clear. Now, a team has found that surplus sugar may cause
our cellular powerplants -- called mitochondria -- to become less
efficient, reducing their energy output.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
The average American eats roughly 22 teaspoons of added sugar a day --
more than three times the recommended amount for women and more than
double the recommended amount for men.


========================================================================== Although this overconsumption is known to contribute to Type 2 diabetes
and other disorders, the exact ways in which eating too much sugar sets
the stage for metabolic diseases on a cellular level has been less clear.

Now, a team led by Van Andel Institute scientists has found that surplus
sugar may cause our cellular powerplants -- called mitochondria --
to become less efficient, reducing their energy ouput.

The findings, published today in Cell Reports, highlight the cellular implications of excessive sugar consumption and provide an important
new model to study the initial metabolic events that may contribute to
diabetes development.

"The body needs sugar, or glucose, to survive, but, as the saying goes:
'All good things in moderation,'" said Ning Wu, Ph.D., an assistant
professor at Van Andel Institute and corresponding author of the
study. "We found that too much glucose in cells, which is directly
linked to the amount of sugar consumed in one's diet, affects lipid
composition throughout the body, which in turn affects the integrity
of mitochondria. The overall effect is a loss of optimal function."
Using their new model, Wu and her colleagues demonstrated that excess
glucose reduces the concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)
in the mitochondrial membrane and makes mitochondria less efficient. PUFAs
are vital players in supporting mitochondrial function and mediating a
host of other biological processes such as inflammation, blood pressure
and cellular communication.

Instead, excess glucose is synthesized into a different form of fatty
acid that isn't as efficient or as flexible as PUFAs. This upends the
lipid composition of the membrane and puts stress on the mitochondria,
damaging them and impacting their performance.

Wu and her colleagues were able to reverse this detrimental effect by
feeding their mouse models a low-sugar ketogenic diet, which suggests
that reducing glucose and restoring normal membrane lipid composition
supports healthy mitochondrial integrity and function. They also found
that consuming excess carbohydrates reduces the beneficial effect of
PUFA supplements.

"Although we may not always notice the difference in mitochondrial
performance right away, our bodies do," Wu explained. "If the lipid
balance is thrown off for long enough, we may begin to feel subtle
changes, such as tiring more quickly. While our study does not offer
medical recommendations, it does illuminate the early stages of metabolic disease and provides insights that may shape future prevention and
therapeutic efforts." Other authors include Althea N. Waldhart, Brejnev Muhire, Ph.D., Ben Johnson, Ph.D., Dean Pettinga, Zachary B. Madaj, M.S.,
Emily Wolfrum, MPH, Vanessa Wegert, and J. Andrew Pospisilik, Ph.D.,
of VAI; and Xianlin Han, Ph.D., of the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies and the Department of Medicine at UT Health
San Antonio.

Research reported in this publication was supported by Van Andel
Institute; the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the
National Institutes of Health under award no. R01GM120129 (Wu); and the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health under
award no. RF1AH061872 (Han).

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Van_Andel_Research_Institute. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Althea N. Waldhart, Brejnev Muhire, Ben Johnson, Dean Pettinga,
Zachary
B. Madaj, Emily Wolfrum, Holly Dykstra, Vanessa Wegert,
J. Andrew Pospisilik, Xianlin Han, Ning Wu. Excess dietary
carbohydrate affects mitochondrial integrity as observed in
brown adipose tissue. Cell Reports, 2021; 36 (5): 109488 DOI:
10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109488 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210803175250.htm

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