In this episode, Dr. Stephanie interviews Dr. Rick Johnson, author, researcher, and Professor of Nephrology at the University of Colorado. Dr. Johnson walks through the difference between glucose and fructose, how fructose can contribute to weight gain and the different ways in which your body absorbs fructose. They unpack the mechanisms of how our bodies convert glucose to fructose, how your age affects your sensitivity to sugar, and how consuming more sugar ultimately increases your sensitivity to sugar. They talk about why exercise is important in maintaining your health, how fructose affects your brain, and how diets higher in salt can activate endogenous fructose production, as well as what we can be doing to help maintain our metabolic health.

Episode Overview:  

• 1:00 Introduction
• 5:15 Welcoming Dr. Rick Johnson
• 6:35 Glucose vs. Fructose
• 19:30 Lipogenic Effects of Fructose
• 32:25 How Your Body Absorbs Fructose
• 40:00 Our Internal Production of Fructose
• 46:45 How Age Affects Sensitivity to Fructose
• 52:51 Why Consuming More Sugar Increases Sensitivity to Sugar
• 59:00 How Exercise Supports Your Mitochondria
• 1:07:00 The Liver-Brain Connection
• 1:14:30 How Salt Activates Fructose Production
• 1:28:00 Conclusion

Dr. Rick Johnson’s new book: Nature Wants Us to Be Fat: The Surprising Science Behind Why We Gain Weight and How We Can Prevent – and Reverse – It 

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