Consuming Glucose-sweetened, Not Fructose-sweetened, Beverages Increases Fasting Insulin in Healthy Humans

Fructose-, compared to glucose-, sweetened beverages increase liver triglyceride content in the short-term, prior to weight gain. In secondary analyses of a randomized cross-over design study during which 24 healthy adults consumed 25% of their estimated energy requirement in the form of glucose-, fructose-, and high-fructose corn syrup-sweetened beverages in addition to an identical ad libitum diet for three periods of 8 days each, we investigated the hypothesis that fructose in sweetened beverages also triggers insulin resistance in the short term. Total energy intake, body weight, and fasting glucose did not differ among diet phases. However, there was a significant trend for higher fasting insulin (p = 0.042 for trend) and, among normal-weight participants, homeostasis model assessment index of insulin resistance (p = 0.034 for diet × adiposity interaction) according to the glucose content of the beverages. In conclusion, in contrast to our hypothesis, insulin resistance was increased with higher glucose vs. fructose content of the beverages in this short-term trial.