Abstract

In animal models, a small (catalytic) dose of fructose administered with glucose decreases the glycemic response to the glucose load. Therefore, we examined the effect of fructose on glucose tolerance in 11 healthy human volunteers (5 men and 6 women). Each subject underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) on 2 separate occasions, at least 1 week apart. Each OGTT consisted of 75 g glucose with or without 7.5 g fructose (OGTT+F or OGTT-F), in random order. Arterialized blood samples were obtained from a heated dorsal hand vein twice before ingestion of the carbohydrate and every 15 min for 2 h afterward. The area under the curve (AUC) of the change in plasma glucose was 19% less in OGTT+F vs. OGTT-F (P: < 0.05). Glucose tolerance was improved by fructose in 9 subjects and worsened in 2. All 6 subjects with the largest glucose AUC during OGTT-F had a decreased response during OGTT+F (31 +/- 5% decrease). The insulin AUC did not differ between the 2 studies. Of the 9 subjects with improved glucose tolerance during the OGTT+F, 5 had smaller insulin AUC during the OGTT+F than the OGTT-F. Plasma glucagon concentrations declined similarly during OGTT-F and OGTT+F. The blood lactate response was about 50% greater during the OGTT+F (P: < 0.05). Neither nonesterified fatty acid nor triglyceride concentrations differed between the two OGTT. In conclusion, low dose fructose improves the glycemic response to an oral glucose load in normal adults without significantly enhancing the insulin or triglyceride response. Fructose appears most effective in those normal individuals who have the poorest glucose tolerance.