Posted on 05/24/2023 3:30:23 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
Excess sugar hampers cells that renew the colon's lining in a mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a study.
The researchers started by feeding mice either a standard or high-sugar diet. Then they mimicked symptoms of IBD by treating the animals with a chemical called DSS that causes damage to the colon.
All the mice on the high-sugar diet died within nine days. In contrast, all animals on the standard diet survived until the end of the 14-day experiment.
The team looked at the animals' colons. Also known as the large intestine, the colon is lined with a layer of epithelial cells that are arranged in finger-like projections called crypts. In a healthy colon, these cells are continually replenished by dividing stem cells at the bottom of each crypt.
When mice on the high-sugar diet were given DSS, that circuit collapsed, said Hand. In some of the animals, the protective layer of epithelial cells was completely lost, causing the colon to be full of blood and immune cells.
"We found that stem cells were dividing much more slowly in the presence of sugar—likely too slow to repair damage to the colon," said Hand. "The other strange thing we noticed was that the metabolism of the cells was different. These cells usually prefer to use fatty acids, but after being grown in high-sugar conditions, they seemed to get locked into using sugar."
These findings could explain other research that has linked sweetened beverages, including sodas, soft drinks and juices, to negative outcomes in IBD patients.
"If you eat an apple or an orange, you're eating a lot of sugar, but that sugar is tied up in the fruit's cells, so it takes a long time to digest and open up those cells to get the sugar," said Hand.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
I remember a speech given by a girl in college back in ‘74 warning about the dangers of refined sugar. Seems she was right.
I don’t consume a lot of sweets, but I think pure cane sugar is better than fructose syrup.
I try to not eat much refined sugar, but I know it’s in a lot of stuff so it’s impossible to avoid it. More because of the carbs, but now that this has come to light I have another reason to stay away from as much as possible.
It seems that my UC has started to flare up somewhat since my transplant. My hepatologist says that it’s not uncommon for liver transplant recipients that have UC to have it get worse post-transplant. They don’t know why.
Maybe it’s something in the meds, I don’t know.
This is good to know. Thanks!
My 2-year anniversary of my surgery was yesterday.
I’m having a colonoscopy a week from today.
I’ve been on Prednisone for the last two months, and I’m almost done with it.
Can’t wait.
Can’t wait.
🙏. It’s not easy. Prayers up.
Thanks, it’ll be fine. In the past 29 years, I’ve had more colonoscopies than I can remember. Get the prep down, and they do the rest.🙂👍
Candida feeds on sugar.
“ Thanks, it’ll be fine. In the past 29 years, I’ve had more colonoscopies than I can remember. ”
It’s not just you. We all have to file taxes on April 15.
🙂👍
The researchers are idiots.
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