Rick Johnson, MD: Fructose, Metabolic Syndrome, and Bipolar Disorder

The External Medicine Podcast

In this conversation, Mitch Belkin and Daniel Belkin speak with Rick Johnson, MD, about how his views on fructose metabolism have evolved over the past decade. If you haven’t checked out Episode 9 with Dr. Johnson, check that out for more background.

In this episode, Dr. Rick Johnson talks about endogenous fructose metabolism, the thrifty gene hypothesis, fat as a source of metabolic water, dehydration and how it stimulates fat production, as well as the relationship between uric acid and bipolar disorder. He also talks about how alcohol-induced liver disease is actually mediated by fructose. Finally, he argues that fructose metabolism is a significant contributor to Alzheimer’s disease.

Who is Rick Johnson?

Dr. Johnson is a Professor of Nephrology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He is one of the world’s leading experts on fructose. His research focuses on the role of fructose and uric acid in obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease. He is the author of over 700 academic papers as well as three books for a general audience: The Fat Switch, The Sugar Fix, and most recently Nature Wants Us To Be Fat.

References:

• Dr. Johnson’s website
• Most recent book: Nature Wants Us To Be Fat
• Uric acid metabolism in Manic Depressive Illness with Lithium Therapy (The Lancet, 1968)
• History of Lithium Therapy (Bipolar disorder, 2009)
• Double blind, placebo controlled study on allopurinol as an adjuvant therapy in treating bipolar disorder (Eur Neuropsychopharmacol, 2014)

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What is the External Medicine Podcast?
The External Medicine Podcast explores some of the most exciting ideas in medicine. Co-hosted by Daniel Belkin, MD, and Mitch Belkin, MD.
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