NEW YORK — Fructose, a sweetener found on many food labels, may
contribute to weight gain and obesity because it has minimal
effect on brain regions that control appetite, a study by Yale
University researchers found. The research, published Tuesday in
the Journal of the American Medical Association, is the first to
compare the human brain’s response to both fructose and glucose,
two types of simple sugars used separately and together to
sweeten food. Researchers have long suspected that increased
consumption of food flavored with fructose, a substance sweeter
to the taste than glucose, may contribute to the US obesity
epidemic. The latest study used brain imaging to measure
activity after the sweeteners were consumed. It found that only
glucose had the ability to reduce blood flow in areas of the
brain that regulate appetite, stopping people from wanting to
eat more. The data ‘‘surely suggest that it’s probably not in
your best interest to have high fructose-containing drinks
because they’re not going to cau