A new study from the University of Central Los Angeles (UCLA) found consumption of the sugar fructose alters hundreds of genes in your brain.
Diseases linked to these changes range from diabetes to cardiovascular disease, and from Alzheimer’s disease to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
The UCLA team sequenced more than 20,000 genes in the brain, and identified more than 700 genes in the hypothalamus (the brain’s major metabolic control center) and more than 200 genes in the hippocampus (which helps regulate learning and memory) altered by the fructose.
The genes altered are among those responsible for regulating your metabolism, cell communication and inflammation levels.
Among the conditions linked to the gene alterations are Parkinson’s disease, depression, bipolar disorder, and other brain diseases.
However, the UCLA research isn’t all bad news.
Because the researchers discovered a way to not only stop brain damage from fructose but actually reverse pre-existing damage.
Since most Americans weren’t aware of the dangers of fructose until recently, the ability to reverse previous damage is a breakthrough finding.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) one of the main omega-3 fatty acids commonly found in wild caught seafood, grass-fed meats, and nuts showed to be a potent cure to fructose inflicted brain damage.
“DHA changes not just one or two genes; it seems to push the entire gene pattern back to normal, which is remarkable,” said Xia Yang
DHA occurs naturally in the membranes of our brain cells, but not in a large enough quantity to help fight diseases.
“The brain and the body are deficient in the machinery to make DHA; it has to come through our diet,” said Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a UCLA professor of neurosurgery and of integrative biology and physiology, and co-senior author of the paper.
The exact mechanisms of how DHA reverses the detrimental effects of fructose need further research, but the research team believes DHA strengthens synapses in the brain, inhibit cell death, help reconnect damaged neurons, and activate genes that help cope with brain damage while turning off those that promote brain inflammation.
The solution for to reverse fructose is pretty simple: eat minimal amounts of fructose, and eat adequate amounts of DHA.
As I mentioned before the highest DHA foods are wild caught seafood, grass-fed meats, and nuts, but seafood is by far the best source.
The next best option is a fish oil supplement high in DHA, but you really need to be careful which brand you use because cheap fish oil spoils easily and can actually end up doing more harm to you than good.
Our favorite brand is Nordic Naturals because they use a nitrogen extraction process which protects the fish oil from oxidative rancidity.
This oxygen-free manufacturing process allows them to deliver the best freshness levels on the market and one free from heavy metals and other toxins.
Share your experiences with fructose, eliminating fructose from your diet, and fish oil by leaving a comment in the comment section below.
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