Research

Hormonal

High intake of fructose and high-glycemic carbohydrates promotes obesity and insulin resistance through de novo lipogenesis, ectopic lipid deposition, and inflammatory pathways, whereas high fiber intake improves metabolic health via short-chain fatty acid production and microbiome modulation.

Prioritize whole, fiber-rich carbohydrates (vegetables, whole grains, legumes) and minimize added sugars, especially fructose and high-fructose corn syrup found in processed foods and beverages. The type of carbohydrate matters more than the total amount for metabolic health.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
consuming fructose-derived calories from nutrient-poor sources such as caloric sweeteners (sucrose, HFCS and pure fructose) added to processed foods and beverages have been associated with adverse metabolic consequences... promote obesity, dyslipidaemia, fatty liver, and insulin resistance
Jibran A. Wali et al. · Biology · 2021

Why this rating

The paper cites large-scale epidemiological studies (PURE), meta-analyses, and consistent mechanistic animal/human data, though some human trials show contradictory GI results.

Source

Macronutrient Determinants of Obesity, Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Health

Jibran A. Wali et al. · Biology · 2021

DOI 10.3390/biology10040336

narrative_reviewCited 60×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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