EMBARGOED UNTIL: 12:01 a.m. April 1, 1999
CONTACT: Dr. Richard Mattes, Purdue University, 765-494-0662 [email protected]
Sugar Increases Fat in the Bloodstream
The amount of fat in the bloodstream after a meal is increased when sugars (at levels commonly consumed) are eaten together with fat according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
Previous studies suggested that addition of fructose to a fat load increased blood fat levels but that addition of glucose had no effect. The reason for this has not been determined. Researchers at Purdue University studied this question as well as whether sweetness or palatability had an effect on the responses.
Twenty-two healthy young adults were given milkshakes containing cream alone or supplemented with fructose, glucose, or aspartame in amounts to make each test shake equally sweet. About one ounce of fructose or half an ounce of glucose were added to the test shakes. Blood was sampled before consumption of the milkshakes and every two hours over an eight hour period after they were ingested.
Addition of either fructose or glucose to the same degree of sweetness led to increases in the amount of fat in blood compared with the plain shake or the one sweetened with the artificial sweetener. Averaged over 8 hours, the blood fat level after consumption of the sugar-sweetened shakes was 38% to 60% higher than after the unsweetened or artificially-sweetened shakes.
It was previously believed that consumption of glucose did not increase fat blood fat levels or had an inhibitory effect. This study shows that both sugars lead to high blood fat levels. Sensory testing failed to show any effect of sweetness or palatability on blood fat levels after a high fat meal.
Baseline insulin levels did not predict the blood fat level over eight hours. In the relatively low amounts of sugar added, insulin did not account for much of the differences.
The investigators at Purdue University were led by Dr. Richard Mattes, Professor in the Department of Foods and Nutrition.
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