Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Apr;79(4):537-43.Click here to read Links
Erratum in:
Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Oct;80(4):1090.
Comment in:
Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Nov;80(5):1446-7; author reply 1447-8.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Oct;80(4):1081; author reply 1081-2.
Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity.
* Bray GA,
* Nielsen SJ,
* Popkin BM.
Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA.
[email protected]
Obesity is a major epidemic, but its causes are still unclear. In this article, we investigate the relation between the intake of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and the development of obesity. We analyzed food consumption patterns by using US Department of Agriculture food consumption tables from 1967 to 2000. The consumption of HFCS increased > 1000% between 1970 and 1990, far exceeding the changes in intake of any other food or food group. HFCS now represents > 40% of caloric sweeteners added to foods and beverages and is the sole caloric sweetener in soft drinks in the United States. Our most conservative estimate of the consumption of HFCS indicates a daily average of 132 kcal for all Americans aged > or = 2 y, and the top 20% of consumers of caloric sweeteners ingest 316 kcal from HFCS/d.
The increased use of HFCS in the United States mirrors the rapid increase in obesity. The digestion, absorption, and metabolism of fructose differ from those of glucose. Hepatic metabolism of fructose favors de novo lipogenesis. In addition, unlike glucose, fructose does not stimulate insulin secretion or enhance leptin production. Because insulin and leptin act as key afferent signals in the regulation of food intake and body weight, this suggests that dietary fructose may contribute to increased energy intake and weight gain. Furthermore, calorically sweetened beverages may enhance caloric overconsumption.
Thus, the increase in consumption of HFCS has a temporal relation to the epidemic of obesity, and the overconsumption of HFCS in calorically sweetened beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity.
Obes Res. 2005 Jul;13(7):1146-56.Click here to read Links
Consuming fructose-sweetened beverages increases body adiposity in mice.
* Jurgens H,
* Haass W,
* Castaneda TR,
* Schurmann A,
* Koebnick C,
* Dombrowski F,
* Otto B,
* Nawrocki AR,
* Scherer PE,
* Spranger J,
* Ristow M,
* Joost HG,
* Havel PJ,
* Tschop MH.
Department of Pharmacology, German Institute of Human Nutrition, Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, 14558 Nuthetal, Germany.
[email protected]
OBJECTIVE: The marked increase in the prevalence of obesity in the United States has recently been attributed to the increased fructose consumption. To determine if and how fructose might promote obesity in an animal model, we measured body composition, energy intake, energy expenditure, substrate oxidation, and several endocrine parameters related to energy homeostasis in mice consuming fructose. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: We compared the effects of ad libitum access to fructose (15% solution in water), sucrose (10%, popular soft drink), and artificial sweetener (0% calories, popular diet soft drink) on adipogenesis and energy metabolism in mice. RESULTS: Exposure to fructose water increased adiposity, whereas increased fat mass after consumption of soft drinks or diet soft drinks did not reach statistical significance (n = 9 each group). Total intake of energy was unaltered, because mice proportionally reduced their caloric intake from chow. There was a trend toward reduced energy expenditure and increased respiratory quotient, albeit not significant, in the fructose group. Furthermore, fructose produced a hepatic lipid accumulation with a characteristic pericentral pattern.
DISCUSSION: These data are compatible with the conclusion that a high intake of fructose selectively enhances adipogenesis, possibly through a shift of substrate use to lipogenesis.
Taiwan Yi Xue Hui Za Zhi. 1989 Sep;88(9):883-5. Links
Effects of high-fructose (90%) corn syrup on plasma glucose, insulin, and C-peptide in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and normal subjects.
* Hung CT.
Interest in sweetening agents is encouraging manufacturers and researchers to find a safe substance to maintain the life quality of diabetics. The popularity of sweetened food items has increased recently in Taiwan. The glycemic index of fructose has been reported to be 20%, much lower than most carbohydrate foods. A high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has come onto the market of sweetening agents and has been proposed as a low-cost substitute for fructose in dietetic management of diabetes. The aim of this study was to compare the glycemic effects of HFCS and glucose to see if there is a place for high-fructose corn syrup in diabetic management. In 8 normal and 21 non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) subjects, we performed oral tolerance tests. After an overnight fast, the subjects were given either 75g of glucose or an equivalent amount of HFCS containing 75g of carbohydrate. Blood was sampled before and at 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 minutes after the glucose load. Blood glucose was analyzed by the glucose oxidase method using YSI 23 A (Yellow-Springs Intrument).
The insulin and C-peptide were measured by RIA kits from Daiichi. The area under the curves (AUC) was calculated for plasma glucose, immunoreactive insulin (IRI) and immunoreactive C-peptide (IRCP). The results showed that the glycemic effect of HFCS was 73% of glucose. The AUC of IRI after HFCS was 56% of that of glucose. The AUC of IRCP after HFCS was 57% of that of glucose. The high glycemic index of HFCS in our study does not support the use of HFCS as a substitute for fructose.
