Javier Gonzalez (University of Bath, UK)
A scientific programme meeting organiser and a speaker at our 2026 Dietary Manipulations meeting
Professor Javier Gonzalez is investigating the impact of milk sugars on our metabolic health. To work out whether milk sugars are friend or foe involves researching metabolic mechanisms to understand the body’s physiological response. In this Q&A, we find out more about these studies and the research Javier will be presenting at our meeting, Dietary Manipulations for Health and in the Prevention and Management of Disease 2026.
Firstly, what inspired your interest to research human nutrition and metabolic health?
I first developed an interest in nutrition from the selfish perspective of trying to improve my own (mediocre) sports performance. Over time, this developed into an intrinsic curiosity of how nutrition and other factors influence metabolism, and in turn, the impact metabolism can have on health and disease risk.
How are you investigating the health impacts of milk sugars?
We have performed several studies using randomised crossover designs with negative (glucose and glucose polymers) and positive controls (fructose and sucrose). In collaboration with others, we have employed several stable isotope tracing methods. These include [U-13C]glucose, [U-13C]palmitate and 2H2O ingestion and [6,6-2H2]glucose infusion to probe blood glucose kinetics, exogenous and endogenous trafficking of fatty acids, and de novo lipogenesis. These methods allow us to understand the metabolic mechanisms underlying responses that we observe, which can facilitate more efficient approaches to improve metabolic health.
What is the body’s physiological response to milk sugars?
When compared with glucose, milk sugars (lactose and galactose) result in lower blood glucose and insulin responses. It is generally thought that milk sugars are metabolised via the LeLoir pathway to result in glucose. There are, however, some responses to milk sugars which challenge this understanding, such as increase blood lactate responses and liver glycogen synthesis. We are currently doing work to better understand this.
Does this response differ between individuals?
There are several forms of variance in the enzyme activities of the LeLoir pathway, which in rare but extreme cases (e.g. classical galactosaemia) result in essentially a complete inability to metabolise galactose. However, there are more common variants in these enzyme activities which may have more subtle effects on the responses to milk sugars that we are keen to understand more about.
Do milk sugars play a positive or negative role for our metabolic health?
So far, it seems that with very high doses (as proof-of-concept), milk sugars may increase blood lipids to a similar extent to fructose-containing carbohydrates, but interestingly at lower doses, milk sugars may actively lower glycaemia without increasing blood lipids. We are currently performing research to understand the metabolic mechanisms underlying these responses.
What are you looking forward to at the Dietary Manipulations conference?
I am most looking forward to the networking and poster sessions, and listening to both invited speakers and oral communications.
Professor Javier Gonzalez will be presenting ‘Dietary milk sugar intake and metabolic health: Friend or foe?’ on 8 April 2026 at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.
Join us on 8-9 April 2026 to hear more about milk sugars in exercise and health, discuss the latest advances in nutritional physiology and explore the role of diet in health and disease. Register by 25 February to make the most of our early bird rates.