Craving a glass of soda? Study warns you might fall prey to molecular addiction

In this scorching heat, we all crave something chilled to sip on. Hence, a harmless glass of soda makes it’s way into our diet, occasionally.

However, it may not be all good news. According to a recent study led by Saptarnab Ganguly and Tandrika Chattopadhyay, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, soda can make the body rewire itself at an cellular level to crave more sugar.

Findings of the study
The study observed that regular consumption of sugary drinks, including soda and sweetened teas can cause physical changes in the intestines to prioritise sugar over other nutrients. The scientists referred to this phenomenon as molecular addiction to explain why breaking away from this habit can be very difficult.

The study was conducted on mice. Divided in two groups, one group of mice was fed regular water, and the other group was provided with water with 10% sucrose, mimicking the concentration of sugar present in soda. Then the metabolic changes in the mice were observed. The results were shocking. It was observed that the mice with sucrose water developed glucose intolerance and insulin resistance with significant changes in their intestinal structure enhancing sugar absorption.

The researchers explained in their paper, “Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) have been linked to metabolic dysfunction, obesity, diabetes and enhanced risk of cardiovascular diseases across all age-groups globally. Decades of work that have provided insights into pathophysiological manifestations of sucrose overfeeding have employed paradigms that rarely mimic human consumption of SSBs. Thus, our understanding of multiorgan cross-talk and molecular and/or cellular mechanisms, which operate across scales and drive physiological derangement is still poor.”

Dangers of excessive sugar consumption:
The researchers observed how regular sucrose consumption affected mitochondria. It was observed in mice consuming sucrose water, mitochondrial function in both liver and muscles was altered. The scientists suspects that the mitochondrial dysfunction most likely contributes to insulin resistance and metabolic disruption, adding to the vicious cycle of worsening metabolic diseases.