Junk Food Causes Similar Damage To Kidneys As Type 2 Diabetes

Consuming junk food can cause high blood sugar levels and the same amount of harm to the kidneys as type 2 diabetes, according to a new study published in Experimental Physiology.

Previous studies have looked at the importance of blocking glucose reabsorption in the kidneys as a way to lower blood sugar levels. To better understand how excess sugar or fat affect glucose transport in the kidneys, researchers fed mice a junk food-based diet consisting of chocolate, marshmallows, cheese and biscuits for eight weeks.

The mice were then tested to determine the effects of the diet on blood sugar levels and various glucose transporters in the kidneys. The results were compared to other mice that were not fed the high-fat diet but already possessed type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Ill effects of junk food

The results showed that a junk food-heavy diet caused an increase in glucose transporters as well as regulatory proteins, factors which were previously observed in the control group of mice that already had diabetes.

“The Western diet contains more and more processed junk food and fat, and there is a well-established link between excessive consumption of this type of food and recent increases in the prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. Havovi Chichger, lead author of the study. “In our study, type 1 and type 2 diabetes both induce changes in glucose transport in the kidney, but junk food or a diet high in fat causes changes that are very similar to those found in type 2 diabetes.”

Researchers claim an effective treatment for diabetic patients could include medication that blocks glucose transporters in the kidneys to decrease blood glucose levels.

Source: EurekAlert!