High Carb Diets and the Liver Gene
Those who know have been talking for years about processed carbs and high fructose corn syrup contributing to obesity.
A University of Wisconsin-Madison study says there is a genetic basis for this. James Ntambi says a gene in the liver, called SCD-1, is what causes mice to gain weight on a diet laden with carbohydrates.
When the scientists fed a starch- and sugar-rich diet to mice lacking SCD-1 in the liver, the extra carbohydrates were broken down rather than being converted into fat and stored — keeping the mice skinny. Meanwhile, control mice with normal gene activity grew plump on the same food.