Fructose and the Epidemic of Metabolic Disease
Johnson RJ, Segal MS, Sautin Y, et al. • Am J Clin Nutr • 2007
Fructose metabolism generates uric acid which drives metabolic syndrome independent of calories
The research behind Metabolicum's evidence-based approach
Not all research is equal. We assign confidence grades to each source based on study design, sample size, replication status, and methodology. This helps you understand how confident you can be in each finding.
High Confidence
Replicated findings across multiple well-designed studies
Good Confidence
Well-designed single studies with strong methodology
Moderate Confidence
Observational data with consistent patterns
Emerging Evidence
Mechanistic or theoretical - interpret cautiously
Clinical Consensus
Practitioner experience without formal trials
Why are we so careful about evidence grading? Because a significant portion of published research fails to replicate.
| Study | Finding | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Begley & Ellis, 2012 | Only 21% of landmark cancer studies could be replicated | A |
| Open Science Collaboration, 2015 | Only 36% of psychology studies replicated | A |
| Ioannidis, 2005 | Theoretical framework explaining why most findings are false | A |
This doesn't mean you should distrust all research. It means:
We grade evidence honestly so you can calibrate your confidence appropriately.
In-depth analysis of foundational studies with translated summaries
Showing 10 studies
Johnson RJ, Segal MS, Sautin Y, et al. • Am J Clin Nutr • 2007
Fructose metabolism generates uric acid which drives metabolic syndrome independent of calories
Choi HK, Curhan G • BMJ • 2008
≥2 sugar-sweetened soft drinks/day associated with RR 1.85 (95% CI 1.08-3.16) for gout; highest fructose quintile RR 2.02 (95% CI 1.49-2.75)
Nakagawa T, Hu H, Zharikov S, et al. • Am J Physiol Renal Physiol • 2006
Uric acid is a causal mediator of fructose-induced metabolic syndrome
Feig DI, Kang DH, Johnson RJ • N Engl J Med • 2008
Hyperuricemia (>6 mg/dL women, >7 mg/dL men) associated with hypertension, metabolic syndrome (59% with UA >10 vs 5.9% with UA <6), renal dysfunction; allopurinol reduced BP ~6.9 mmHg in adolescents
Choi HK, Atkinson K, Karlson EW, et al. • N Engl J Med • 2004
Meat and seafood increase gout risk; dairy products are protective
Dalbeth N, Stamp L • Ann Rheum Dis • 2014
Asymptomatic hyperuricemia represents an early stage of gout requiring management
Zhang Y, Neogi T, Chen C, et al. • Arthritis Rheum • 2012
Cherry intake over 2 days: 35% lower gout attack risk (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.50-0.85); cherry + allopurinol: 75% lower risk (OR 0.25)
Juraschek SP, Miller ER, Gelber AC • Arthritis Care Res • 2011
Vitamin C supplementation reduced uric acid by 0.35 mg/dL (95% CI -0.66 to -0.03, P=0.032); higher baseline UA (≥4.85 mg/dL) showed 0.78 mg/dL reduction
Choi HK, Willett W, Curhan G • Arthritis Rheum • 2007
Coffee consumption significantly reduces gout risk in a dose-dependent manner
Zhu Y, Pandya BJ, Choi HK • Arthritis Rheum • 2011
Gout and hyperuricemia affect 8.3 and 43.3 million Americans respectively
Primary thresholds come from Grade A sources. When Grade A evidence suggests a range rather than a single value, we present the range with context.
We draw on Grades A-C for educational claims, clearly labeling evidence quality. Grade D and E content is marked as theoretical or practitioner-derived.
This bibliography contains the research supporting Metabolicum's evidence-based approach.
Last comprehensive review: December 2025