Have you ever had a slice of the most delicious spread of pastries ever, looked down it the heaping remainder of custard-and-crumby goodness and uttered, "I wish I could eat that whole thing and not gain a single pound"? Well, if science is investigating what that reality might look like. If you can't really wrap your head around what I just said, let me break it down.
Researchers at the University of Southern California's Davis School of Gerontology and the Keck School of Medicine have identified a method for suppressing obesity as a side effect of a high-sugar diet. Working with worms, the team saw that a hyperactive mutation of the gene—SKN-1, or Nrf2 in humans—caused the worms to consume all the high-sugar foods they wanted without packing on the pounds, whereas worms who didn't exhibit the mutation gained a whole bunch of weight on the same diet. The regimen the worms were on was essentially consistent with a Western diet, so think burgers, fries, soda, cake, cookies, pastries, ice cream... I know, right?! Sounds my PMS-ing self's dream meal plan.
Nrf2 has actually been heavily researched already. Pharmaceutical companies have developed drugs to combat and slow the aging process by targeting the gene, because the Nrf2 protein is a transcription factor that links to a chunk of DNA affecting how cells detox and repair themselves. And since this gene exists already in humans, the USC researchers believe it may translate from the lab to the real world.
But get this: mutations that up the function of the Nrf2 gene have been linked to extremely aggressive forms of cancer—horrifying, right? Mayyybe Mother Nature's trying to tell us that there's a reason our bodies weren't made to pound back the chocolate cakes and sugar-laden pies? Let this be a reminder, ladies. There's no such thing as a magic pill with zero consequence. And if you're dealing with a serious sugar addiction, here's a sobering reminder of what your body experiences when you eat sugar—and tips for how to cut back!
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