Fructose Consumption Effect on Bipolar and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

Behavioral disorders, including bipolar disorder (BD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), have long been associated with sugar intake and inflammation. The factors that contribute to this link have been unclear. Here we represent a possible mechanism in which fructose, a component of sugar and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), intake is related to the elevation of serum uric acid (a fructose metabolite), which can then become a risk factor for ADHD and BD. Studies have shown that uric acid can increase the stimulation of stress response from the hippocampus, the region of the brain that initiates stress response in humans. Hippocampus initiates the stress response by stimulating the pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which eventually secretes cortisol, the hormone responsible to upregulate many other inflammatory markers, including cytokines in the body. In conclusion, we propose that uric acid and cytokines can serve as a connecting link between fructose intake and the occurrence of BD and ADHD. Moreover, we suggest that the mechanism of action of uric acid is by increasing the hippocampal stress response, inflammation in the brain, and also the foraging response. Foraging response stimulated by uric acid increase explains the behavioral patterns of BD and ADHD.

Cite this article as: Başkaya E, Memişoğlu M, Erbaş O. Fructose Consumption Effect on Bipolar and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. JEB Med Sci 2021;2(1):27-33.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.