Why Do Some People from Greenland Digest Sugar Differently Compared to the Rest of the World?

Greenlandic inhabitants have eaten a sugar-free diet for millennia. Many people lost the function of a critical sucrose-processing enzyme because they didn't need to consume specific carbs quickly.

Greenlanders Digesting Sugar

According to a genetic quirk, sugar is healthy for some Greenlanders, far more than it is for most people. According to a new study, gut bacteria and a special diet nourishing Greenlanders for millennia have supplied them with a genetic mutation that gives them an exceptional edge.

A team of academics led by specialists from the University of Copenhagen evaluated the health of thousands of Greenlandic individuals to discover what this loss means for today's communities.

Genetics

The gene that produces the enzyme sucrase-isomaltase is at the center of the investigation. It mutated to the point that it no longer operates at some time in Greenland's history. At least one of these broken varieties is currently carried by about a third of its descendants.

Working copies of the enzyme reside in the intestinal wall of the rest of us, where they break down dietary carbohydrates, including sucrose (the sugar you put in your coffee) and isomaltose (a component of caramelized glucose).

According to the findings of previous investigations on youngsters, this sugar-absorbing enzyme is required for optimum health. Any significant amount of sugary food consumed without it causes diarrhea, stomach irritation, and vomiting. However, it's unclear if this holds for adults.

More than 6,000 Greenlandic volunteers had their blood chemistry, food, and diabetes history assessed, as well as their genes studied. They were all over the age of eighteen.

Surprisingly, adults fared better than youngsters who had significant responses to sugar consumption, which harmed their development.

The findings showed that having two copies of the dead gene was linked to a lower BMI, lower fat percentages, and a healthy lipid profile.

A sample of people in the research had unusually high amounts of a molecule called acetate. Short-chain fatty acid circulation has been associated with decreased hunger, indicating that losing this essential enzyme may have some advantages in a society where overindulging in high-energy meals is difficult to avoid.

Research Process

The researchers believe that an excess of simple carbohydrates in the stomach may attract microorganisms that convert it to acetate, transforming it from a potential irritation into a dietary tool.

According to research, mice that were genetically modified to prevent sucrose absorption also retained less fat when fed high-energy diets.

It's difficult to predict if this understanding will help future fat-fighting medicines. More research is needed to thoroughly understand the ramifications of suppressing otherwise functioning forms of sucrase-isomaltase in the intestines of people who may require assistance with sugar digestion.

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