Today in Research: Fructose's Bad Rap; Drinking Alcohol in Movies

Discovered: Fructose doesn't deserve its association with obesity, a new type of Super Earth, a case for extending the smoking ban, and movies make kids want to drink.

• Fructose does not deserve its association with obesity. This does not mean all those propaganda ads telling us that high fructose corn syrup is "simply a kind of corn sugar" and "natural" were justified. This is just regular fructose, otherwise known as the sugar found in fruits and vegetables. A review of over 40 studies found no weight gain associated with ingesting the tasty molecule. "Fructose may not be to blame for obesity," said Dr. John Sievenpiper. "It may just be calories from any food source. Overconsumption is the issue." Translation: fructose for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And brunch, linner, and supper, too. [St. Michaels]

• Movies with alcohol in them make kids want to drink. Apparently the sight of a bunch of people partying it up with intoxicants plants some real seeds in the brains of the underaged. "Teens who watched the most movies featuring alcohol were twice as likely to start drinking as those who watched the least. And they were 63 percent more likely to progress to binge drinking," finds research. Bad kids. But what does this mean for adults who already drink, and who quite possibly enjoy watching movies? We are concerned. [BMJ Open]

Read the full story at The Atlantic Wire.