Taste of Fructose Revs Up Metabolism

Experiments with mouse and human cells and living mice reveal that fructose activates the same proteins in pancreatic cells that the tongue uses to taste sweets. When these cells are exposed to glucose the sugar that is body’s main source of energy and then get a hit of fructose, the cells pump out more insulin than with glucose alone, the researchers found. The research adds to a growing body of evidence demonstrating that taste cells are not just the province of the tongue.