EFFECTS OF DIETARY FRUCTOSE AND SUCROSE ON PLASMA TRIGLYCERIDE METABOLISM IN PATIENTS WITH ENDOGENOUS HYPERTRIGLYCERIDEMIA

Abstract

Abstract. Since fructose is now marketed as a nutrient a study has been initiated to compare the effects of fructose, sucrose and starch at a conventional dietary intake level on the plasma triglyceride concentration and turnover in patients with endogenous hypertriglyceridemia. Preliminary results are presented here.Fructose or sucrose in a daily amount of 75 to 80 grams were added to the diet in an isocaloric exchange for starch in twelve hyperglyceridemic patients under hospital conditions. Each dietary period lasted for 10 to 20 days and the triglyceride turnover was studied by endogenous glycerol labeling technique at the end of each period. Five of the patients had manifest diabetes managed by diet or oral antidiabetic drugs.Plasma triglyceride response to fructose was variable and the average change from the level observed during fructose‐free diet was not significant. However, in nondiabetic subjects a definite rising trend of triglyceride was noticeable. Sucrose caused a significant increase of triglyceride concentration above that measured during fructose and starch diets. Diabetics were not included into the sucrose group, however. The fractional removal rate of plasma triglycerides was identical during all three diets but the triglyceride production rate showed a rising trend during fructose and, particularly, during sucrose diet as compared to starch. Because of the limited number of subjects studied so far, these results do not justify any definite conclusions.