The population of Greenland enjoyed a sugar-free diet for thousands of years. Without the need to process certain sugars quickly, many lost their function.
Scientists from the University of Copenhagen analyzed the health of thousands of people from the island to learn what this loss means for the future of the population.
There is a gene at the center of the study. It no longer works at some point in the past. More than a third of its descendants carry at least one broken variant.
For the rest of us, the working versions of the enzyme sit in the wall of the sphinx, where they digest sugars such as sucrose and isomaltose.
The results of previous studies on children show that this sugar- absorbing enzyme is necessary for good health. Without it, the consumption of a lot of sugar results in GI problems. Whether this applies to adults is an open question.
A study of their genes and an assessment of their blood chemistry were included in the assessment. All were older than 18 years of age.
Adults more or less thrived when children suffered severe reactions to sugar consumption.
Two copies of the defunct gene were associated with a lower body mass index and reduced percentage of fat.
A group within the study population had intriguing levels of a chemical. Circulation of this short-chain fatty acid has been linked with lower appetites, suggesting that the loss of this keyidase might have benefits in a world where overconsumption in high-energy foods is hard to avoid.
The surplus of simple carbohydrates in the gut is thought to favor the growth of microflora that can turn it into acetate, a healthier food.
Experiments show that mice resistant to absorption of sucrose store less fat when fed a high-energy diet.
It's hard to say if this knowledge will inform future fat-fighting therapies. There are people who might need a helping hand in managing their sugar digestion if they are prevented from using otherwise functional forms of sucrase-isomaltase.
This research was published in a book.
