Why is cutting sugar so hard — even when you know it's harming you? The answer may lie deeper than willpower.
In this episode of the Me and My Health Up Podcast, researcher and entrepreneur Chris Mearns joins host Anthony Hartcher to reveal how fructose — not just as a dietary sugar but as a biological signalling molecule — programs your cells into a low-energy, craving-driven, fat-storing state.
Chris explains the science behind the fructose model of metabolic dysfunction: how fructose degrades your mitochondrial energy (ATP), why your body manufactures fructose from glucose, alcohol, salt, and even poor sleep, and how this single enzyme (fructokinase) sits at the centre of modern chronic disease — from obesity and fatty liver to brain fog, insulin resistance, and Alzheimer's disease.
You'll also hear about luteolin, a plant flavonoid that targets fructokinase, and how liposomal supplementation is making it viable as a real-world metabolic support tool through Chris's product, Sugar Shield.
Topics covered:→ Fructose as a metabolic regulator, not just a calorie→ How fructose destroys ATP and suppresses mitochondria→ The evolutionary logic of the conservation signal→ The polyol pathway: how glucose, alcohol & salt trigger fructose→ Food noise, hunger loops & the biology of sugar addiction→ Fructokinase — the linchpin enzyme of metabolic disease→ Luteolin, liposomes & the Sugar Shield supplement→ Practical steps to reduce fructose load and restore energy
Connect with Chris Mearns:🌐 Website & Sugar Shield: LIV3health.com▶️ YouTube: Search "The Fructose Model" on YouTube📩 Contact via his website for inquiries or research discussions
Me and My Health Up Podcast is hosted by Anthony Hartcher — science educator, wellbeing coach, and founder of Joyful Mate.
