For his self-experiments, Hirschhausen visited the University Hospital of Tübingen and the partner of the German Center for Diabetes Research in Tübingen, the Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases (IDM), among other places. DZD Board Member Prof. Andreas Birkenfeld and DZD researcher Prof. Stephanie Kullmann accompanied the shootings as scientific experts.
What happens in the body when there is too much sugar?
Starting at minute 7:28, the program impressively shows how unhealthy eating affected Eckart von Hirschhausen's body. After just one week of high sugar and fat intake, tests conducted at the Tübingen site revealed more fat in the liver and between the organs in the abdomen (visceral fat). This was shown in an experiment conducted in 2024.
A year and a half later, after losing several kilos, Hirschhausen underwent another examination – with positive news: the dangerous abdominal fat and liver fat had been significantly reduced.
How do sweeteners affect the brain and appetite?
In another experiment at the IDM, Prof. Kullmann shows how the brain reacts to sweeteners. These can trigger a “start signal” in the brain that increases appetite. Hirschhausen's conclusion: “I would like to write a package insert: Sweeteners change your brain and trick your perception.”
"Hirschhausen and the Sugar" is available in the ARD media library until February 20, 2031.
Hirschhausen und der Zucker - watch here (German only)
