Effect of a moderate dose of fructose in solid foods on triglyceride, glucose and uric acid before and after a one-month moderate sugar feeding period

First published online 9 December 2020There are few data on the effects on TAG, glucose and uric acid of chronic consumption of a moderate dose of fructose in solid foods. Twentyeight participants with prediabetes and/or obesity and overweight commenced the study (BMI 32·3 kg/m2, age 44·7 years, fasting glucose 5·3 (SD 0·89) mmol/l and 2-h glucose 6·6 (SD 1·8) mmol/l). Twenty-four men and women who completed the study consumed, in random order, two acute test meals of muffins sweetened with either fructose or sucrose. This was followed by 4-week chronic consumption of 42 g/d of either fructose or sucrose in low-fat muffins after which the two meal tests were repeated. The sugar type in the chronic feeding period was also randomised. Fasting TAG increased after chronic consumption of fructose by 0·31 (SD 0·37) mmol/l compared with sucrose in those participants with impaired fasting glucose (IFG)/impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (P = 0·004). Total cholesterol (0·33 mmol/l), LDL-cholesterol (0·24 mmol/l) and HDL-cholesterol (0·08 mmol/l) increased significantly over the 1- month feeding period with no differences between muffin types. Fasting glucose was not different after 1 month of muffin consumption. Uric acid response was not different between the two sugar types either baseline or 1 month, and there were no differences between baseline and 1 month. The increase in fasting TAG in participants with IFG/IGT suggests the need for caution in people at increased risk of type 2 diabetes.Peter M. Clifton and Jennifer B. Keog