The Metabolic Effects of a High Fructose Versus a High Glucose Diet in Overweight Men

Dietary consumption of fructose has increased by nearly 50% since 1960.

A high fructose diet (HFrD) results in greater visceral adiposity and systemic insulin resistance than a high glucose diet. The effects of fructose on liver fatty acid and ATP stores, systemic oxidative stress and cardiovascular status are not fully known.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Oxidative Stress; Hepatic Fatty Acid Metabolism; Systemic Insulin Resistance; Cardiovascular Status
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: high sugar diet

Detailed Description

The protocol will assess the following outcomes:

1. The ultimate fate of this increased hepatic fatty acid production following a high fructose vs. glucose diet
2. The effect of a high fructose vs. glucose diet on liver ATP stores
3. The effect of a high fructose vs. glucose diet on markers of oxidative stress
4. The effect of a high fructose vs. glucose diet on cardiovascular status

Factors critical to carbohydrate metabolism such as systemic insulin resistance, body composition, energy expenditure, physical activity will also be assessed.

32 centrally overweight healthy males with a low baseline fructose intake will be recruited. They will be randomised double blindly to receive 25% of their dietary energy requirements from either fructose or glucose for 14 days.

The sugars will first be taken in an energy balanced and then an overfeeding setting.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 32
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Nottinghamshire
    • Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom, NG7 2UH
      • School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Nottingham

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 50 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Body mass index 25-32
2. Waist > hip circumference
3. Age 18-50 years
4. Male

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Reported weight change > 3 kg in prior 3/12
2. Active health problems
3. Contraindications to MRI scanning
4. Symptoms of functional bloating or irritable bowel syndrome
5. Abnormal liver or renal function tests
6. Random glucose greater than 11.0 mmol/L
7. Evidence of metabolic or viral liver disease as screened for by hepatitis B and C serology, and ferritin.
8. Alcohol intake > 21 units per week
9. Vegetarianism
10. Normal daily fructose intake from drinks greater than that in 500ml of coca cola
11. Abnormal carbohydrate energy contribution to baseline diet - defined as greater than 2 standard deviations from the mean of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2002 data

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: fructose; 25% dietary energy from fructose	Dietary supplement: high sugar diet; 25% of dietary energy from fructose or glucose
Active Comparator: glucose; 25% dietary energy from glucose	Dietary supplement: high sugar diet; 25% of dietary energy from fructose or glucose

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Liver triglyceride content	2 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Muscle triglyceride content	2 weeks
Total abdominal visceral fat content (MRI)	2 weeks
Liver ATP, PME concentration and pH (31P MRS)	2 weeks
Liver de novo lipogenesis	2 weeks
Resting energy expenditure, lipid and carbohydrate oxidation rates	2 weeks
Hepatic and systemic insulin resistance	2 weeks
Cardiovascular measures using finometry	2 weeks
Systemic oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokine profile	2 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Nottingham
• Investigators: Study Chair: Ian A Macdonald, PhD, School of Biomedical Sciences, Nottingham University, UK; Principal Investigator: Richard D Johnston, MRCP, School of Biomedical Sciences, Nottingham University, UK

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Johnston RD, Stephenson MC, Crossland H, Cordon SM, Palcidi E, Cox EF, Taylor MA, Aithal GP, Macdonald IA. No difference between high-fructose and high-glucose diets on liver triacylglycerol or biochemistry in healthy overweight men. Gastroenterology. 2013 Nov;145(5):1016-1025.e2. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2013.07.012. Epub 2013 Jul 19.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: January 1, 2010
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 1, 2010
• Study Completion (Actual): April 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 14, 2010
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 14, 2010
• First Posted (Estimate): January 15, 2010

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): July 4, 2012
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 3, 2012
• Last Verified: July 1, 2012

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: diet; fatty liver disease; fructose
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Metabolic Diseases; Body Weight; Hyperinsulinism; Insulin Resistance; Overweight
• Other Study ID Numbers: D/10/2009