Comparing fructose- and glucose-sweetened beverages
Overweight and obese subjects consumed glucose- or fructose-sweetened beverages, and researchers from the US and Japan compared the effects.
Here are their findings, and the potential political significance of this research.
First, the details.
- 32 overweight and obese adult men and women were observed for 10 weeks.
- They drank beverages sweetened with glucose or fructose that accounted for 25% of their daily calorie intake.
And, the results.
- Participants in both groups put on about the same amount of weight.
- Fasting triglyceride blood levels increased 10% with glucose but not with fructose.
- Changes recorded with fructose only
- Increased belly fat
- Production of fat by the liver
- aka hepatic de novo lipogenesis (DNL)
- Increased markers of altered lipid metabolism (eg, apoB, LDL [bad] cholesterol)
- Increased concentrations of remnant-like particle–triglyceride and –cholesterol
- Newly proposed risk factors for heart disease
- Increased fasting blood sugar and insulin levels
- Decreased insulin sensitivity
The bottom line?
The authors concluded, “Dietary fructose specifically increases DNL, promotes dyslipidemia, decreases insulin sensitivity, and increases visceral adiposity in overweight/obese adults.”
An accompanying editorial provides perspective. “While these symptoms are telltale signs of metabolic syndrome, which raises a person’s risk of heart attack, we still don’t know what the long term implications of fructose consumption on such a risk might be.”
4/23/09 20:30 JR