The Effects of Sucrose, Fructose, and High-Fructose Corn Syrup Meals on Plasma Glucose and Insulin in Non-insulin-dependent Diabetic Subjects

Abstract

We have previously shown that fructose and sorbitol given with a standard meal cause less increment in plasma glucose than sucrose and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in patients with NIDDM. However, there was no direct comparison of sucrose with HFCS. Sixteen men and one woman aged 54-67) with NIDDM were given either 35 g sucrose, 35 g fructose, or 43.75 g HFCS containing 35 g carbohydrate as part of a 400-calorie test meal. Blood samples were obtained at frequent intervals up to 3 h and were analyzed for glucose and insulin. As compared with a fructose meal, the mean increment in plasma glucose (delta PG) after a sucrose meal was significantly higher at 45 min and after an HFCS meal it was significantly higher at 30 and 45 min, but sucrose and HFCS meals did not differ. When delta PGs were compared in nine patients with basal PG greater than 140 mg/dl and in eight patients with basal PG less than 140 mg/dl, differences in delta PG after sucrose and HFCS versus fructose meals became more significant but still did not differ from each other. The integrated total areas under the delta PG curves after sucrose, HFCS, and fructose meals were not statistically different. However, the areas under the curves up to 90 min after sucrose and HFCS meals, which did not differ, were greater than the fructose meal. The mean delta IRI after sucrose meals was markedly elevated at 45, 60, and 75 min (P less than 0.05) and after HFCS meals at 45 min as compared with fructose meals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Soft Drink Consumption Linked with Fatty Liver in the Absence of Traditional Risk Factors

“…These coingestants might also increase the risk for fatty liver because of their high amount of rapidly absorbable carbohydrates (20). They contain a large amount of HFCS, which has a similar effect on blood glucose as sucrose (31). The consumption of sugarsweetened soft drinks therefore induces a fast and dramatic increase in both glucose and insulin concentration (32).…”

Fructose and metabolic diseases: New findings, new questions

“…There is however no evidence that providing fructose as a hexose has different metabolic effects than when fructose is consumed bound to glucose in sucrose. In patients with type 2 diabetes, the glucose and insulin responses to administration of 35 g of sucrose or HFCS were quite similar [50]. Based on the fact that fructose inhibits less ghrelin and increases less leptin than glucose [51], one may have hypothesized that HFCS would have a different effect than sucrose on these hormones and hence would have a lesser satiating effect.…”

Use of Alternative Sweeteners in Diabetic Diet

“…However, pure crystalline fructose is expensive, so manufacturers usually use one of the high-fructose corn syrups (HFCSs) containing varying amounts of fructose (42, 55, or 90%), the remaining carbohydrate predominantly being glucose with a small percentage of higher saccharides (20). HFCSs supplied for a study as 90% fructose had an effect on blood glucose similar to that of sucrose (21,22). However, analysis of the syrup indicated that it was only 75.8% fructose.…”

“…Acutely, fructose has less influence on blood glucose level than does glucose, sucrose, HFCSs, or many complex carbohydrates in diabetic and nondiabetic individuals (26)(27)(28)(29). However, when basal plasma glucose levels exceeded 140 mg/dl in one study, fructose caused postprandial plasma glucose excursions comparable to those with sucrose or HFCS (22). In another study of subjects with basal plasma glucose levels >140 mg/dl, fructose maintained a significantly lower blood glucose response than glucose and sucrose, although it was increased compared with blood glucose response to fructose in nondiabetic subjects and subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (29).…”