If a person were to eat an excessive amount of sugar over a long period of time what would happen metabolically and physiologically?

 

I know that a large amount of acetyl coA would be produced after the glycolytic pathway, producing a large amount of citrate, but would this citrate inhibit the phosphofructokinase enzyme of glycolysis even though there is a great amount of glucose coming in that would favor the glycolytic pathway?

Edited March 25, 201312 yr by molecchemgrad

I am not certain. I think that citrate would also activate acetyl CoA carboxylase, which would promote fatty acid biosynthesis. That is little more than speculation on my part, however.

Humming-birds eat only sugar, which they suck up in liquid form, from flowers.

 

The sugar seems to give the humming-birds great energy. It lets them beat their wings at an amazing speed.

 

Could we follow their example, and just eat sugar?

 

 

 

 

Besides sugar, nectar also contains very small amounts of protein, and sodium and potassium salts. However, hummingbirds get most of their protein by eating small insects for a short time each day.