A growing body of research is pointing to fructose as more than just a source of extra calories. A new report published in Nature Metabolism highlights the sugar's unique role in metabolic disease and suggests its effects on the body may be more harmful than previously understood. The researchers reviewed evidence on widely used sweeteners such as table sugar (sucrose) and high-fructose corn syrup. Although both contain glucose and fructose, the scientists say fructose behaves differently inside the body and may play a more direct role in obesity and related health problems. "Fructose is not just another calorie," said Richard Johnson, MD, professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz and study lead author. "It acts as a metabolic signal that promotes fat production and storage in ways that differ fundamentally from glucose." How Fructose Affects Metabolism According to the report, fructose is processed through metabolic pathways that bypass some of the body's normal regulatory controls.…