A New Tool to Check Sugar Consumption

Scientists have found a biomarker that can be used to measure a person’s sugar consumption. Corn and sugarcane, which are among the most prominent sources of sugars, have unique ratios of two forms of carbon, carbon-12 and carbon-13, that persist in people after they consume sugars made from the plants. Scientists can estimate the amount of sugar intake by looking for those unique ratios in a small hair or blood sample. The new method can be used to calibrate and increase the accuracy of other measurements of sugar consumption as well as aid other diet-related research.

Source: NIGMS Biomedical Beat - July 18, 2013 Category: Research Source Type: news