Excess sugar consumption is a primary driver of metabolic syndrome

M. Goss, M. Nunes, I. D. Machado, L. Merlin, N. B. Macedo, A. M. O. Silva, T. Bresolin, J. R. Santin. Peel flour of Passiflora edulis Var. Flavicarpa supplementation prevents the insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis induced by low-fructose-diet in young rats.. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2018.03.137

Paper 1 demonstrates that high fructose consumption induces insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, and metabolic abnormalities in animal models.

Sunhee Jung, Hosung Bae, Won-Suk Song, Y. Chun, Johnny Le, Yasmine Alam, A. Verlande, Sung Kook Chun, Joohwan Kim, Miranda E. Kelly, Miranda L. Lopez, S. Park, Daniel Onofre, Jongwon Baek, Ki-Hong Jang, V. I. Rubtsova, Alexis L. Anica, Selma Masri, Gina Lee, Cholsoon Jang. Dietary fibre-adapted gut microbiome clears dietary fructose and reverses hepatic steatosis. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-025-01356-0

Paper 2 shows that excessive dietary fructose induces hepatic lipogenesis and cardiometabolic disease risk factors.

Julio C. Rubio-Rodríguez, R. Reynoso-Camacho, N. Rocha‐Guzmán, L. M. Salgado. Functional beverages improve insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis modulating lysophospholipids in diet‐induced obese rats. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.2162

Paper 5 notes that hypercaloric, fructose-rich diets increase the prevalence of insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Gemma Sangüesa, N. Roglans, J. Laguna, M. Alegret. Liquid fructose and liver insulin signaling: Molecular mechanisms controlling hepatic steatosis. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-849886-6.00004-5

Paper 6 discusses how elevated consumption of simple sugars like fructose contributes to cardiometabolic risk factors such as insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis.

Johnson RJ, Lanaspa MA, Tolan DR, Goncalves MD, Softic S, Stanhope KL, Sánchez-Lozada LG, Herman MA, Rabinowitz JD. Fructose: metabolic signal and modern hazard.. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-026-01506-y

Paper 8 reviews the biochemical mechanisms by which chronic excess fructose drives features of metabolic syndrome.

Yi X, Zhu Y, Wang M, Song S, Yang H, Tan W, Zhu M, Zheng L, Yu J, Xu C. Pax8-rtTA/LC1-Driven Inducible Ketohexokinase Deletion Protects Against High Fructose-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Mice.. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1111/apha.70187

Paper 9 finds that blocking fructose metabolism protects against high fructose-induced metabolic syndrome in mice.

Rodríguez LA, Bradshaw PT, Kanaya AM, Akushevich A, Siega-Riz AM, Corsino L, Albrecht SS, Isasi CR, Mossavar-Rahmani Y, Daviglus M, Van Horn L, Gallo LC, Sotres-Alvarez D. Added Sugars Intake and Metabolic Syndrome in U.S. Hispanic/Latino Adults: Longitudinal Results From the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.focus.2025.100459

Paper 10 reports that sugar-sweetened beverage intake is significantly associated with components of metabolic syndrome like waist circumference and fasting glucose.