Most systematic review s and meta-analyses from controlled feeding trials have shown that fructose-containing sugars in isocaloric exchange for other carbohydrates do not show evidence of harm and , in the case of fructose , may even have advantages for glycaemic control , especially at small doses .
Nevertheless , trials in which fructose-containing sugars supplement diets with excess energy have shown adverse effects , effects that appear more attributable to the excess energy than the sugar .
There is no unequivocal evidence that fructose intake at moderate doses is directly related with adverse metabolic effects , although there is potentially cause for concern where fructose is provided at high doses or contributes excess energy to diets .
Concerns are growing regarding the role of dietary sugars in the development of obesity and cardiometabolic diseases , including diabetes .
High-fructose corn syrup ( HFCS ) and sucrose are the most important dietary sweeteners .
Both HFCS and sucrose have overlapping metabolic actions with adverse effects attributed to their fructose moiety .
Ecological studies have linked the rise in fructose availability with the increases in obesity and diabetes worldwide .
This link has been largely underpinned by animal models and select human trials of fructose overfeeding at high levels of exposure .
A trial of sugar-free or sugar-sweetened beverages and body weight in children.
BACKGROUND The consumption of beverages that contain sugar is associated with overweight , possibly because liquid sugars do not lead to a sense of satiety , so the consumption of other foods is not reduced . However , data are lacking to show that the replacement of sugar-containing beverages with noncaloric beverages diminishes weight gain . METHODS We conducted an 18-month trial involving 641 primarily normal-weight children from 4 years 10 months to 11 years 11 months of age . Participants were r and omly assigned to receive 250 ml ( 8 oz ) per day of a sugar-free , artificially sweetened beverage ( sugar-free group ) or a similar sugar-containing beverage that provided 104 kcal ( sugar group ) . Beverages were distributed through schools . At 18 months , 26 % of the children had stopped consuming the beverages ; the data from children who did not complete the study were imputed . RESULTS The z score for the body-mass index ( BMI , the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters ) increased on average by 0.02 SD units in the sugar-free group and by 0.15 SD units in the sugar group ; the 95 % confidence interval ( CI ) of the difference was -0.21 to -0.05 . Weight increased by 6.35 kg in the sugar-free group as compared with 7.37 kg in the sugar group ( 95 % CI for the difference , -1.54 to -0.48 ) . The skinfold-thickness measurements , waist-to-height ratio , and fat mass also increased significantly less in the sugar-free group . Adverse events were minor . When we combined measurements at 18 months in 136 children who had discontinued the study with those in 477 children who completed the study , the BMI z score increased by 0.06 SD units in the sugar-free group and by 0.12 SD units in the sugar group ( P=0.06 ) . CONCLUSIONS Masked replacement of sugar-containing beverages with noncaloric beverages reduced weight gain and fat accumulation in normal-weight children . ( Funded by the Netherl and s Organization for Health Research and Development and others ; DRINK Clinical Trials.gov number , NCT00893529 . )
Most systematic review s and meta-analyses from controlled feeding trials have shown that fructose-containing sugars in isocaloric exchange for other carbohydrates do not show evidence of harm and , in the case of fructose , may even have advantages for glycaemic control , especially at small doses .
Nevertheless , trials in which fructose-containing sugars supplement diets with excess energy have shown adverse effects , effects that appear more attributable to the excess energy than the sugar .
There is no unequivocal evidence that fructose intake at moderate doses is directly related with adverse metabolic effects , although there is potentially cause for concern where fructose is provided at high doses or contributes excess energy to diets .
Concerns are growing regarding the role of dietary sugars in the development of obesity and cardiometabolic diseases , including diabetes .
High-fructose corn syrup ( HFCS ) and sucrose are the most important dietary sweeteners .
Both HFCS and sucrose have overlapping metabolic actions with adverse effects attributed to their fructose moiety .
Ecological studies have linked the rise in fructose availability with the increases in obesity and diabetes worldwide .
This link has been largely underpinned by animal models and select human trials of fructose overfeeding at high levels of exposure .