Research

Hormonal

Consumption of high-fructose meals in women significantly reduces circulating insulin and leptin levels and attenuates postprandial ghrelin suppression compared to isocaloric high-glucose meals, while increasing plasma triglycerides.

For women, replacing glucose with fructose in beverages (while keeping total calories and macronutrients the same) blunts the body's natural satiety signals (insulin and leptin) and reduces the suppression of hunger hormones (ghrelin). This hormonal profile—lower satiety signals and higher triglycerides—may encourage increased caloric intake and contribute to weight gain over time, even if the meal itself is not larger.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Postprandial glycemic excursions were reduced by 66 ± 12%, and insulin responses were 65 ± 5% lower (both P < 0.001) during HFr consumption... The area under the curve for leptin during the first 12 h (−33 ± 7%; P < 0.005), the entire 24 h (−21 ± 8%; P < 0.02), and the diurnal amplitude (peak − nadir) (24 ± 6%; P < 0.0025) were reduced on the HFr day compared with the HGl day... postprandial suppression of ghrelin was significantly less pronounced after HFr meals (P < 0.05 vs. HGl). Consumption of HFr meals produced a rapid and prolonged elevation of plasma triglycerides compared with the HGl day (P < 0.005).
Karen L. Teff et al. · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · 2004

Why this rating

Randomized controlled trial with rigorous 24-hour monitoring in a controlled metabolic ward setting, though limited to a small sample (n=12) of normal-weight women.

Source

Dietary Fructose Reduces Circulating Insulin and Leptin, Attenuates Postprandial Suppression of Ghrelin, and Increases Triglycerides in Women

Karen L. Teff et al. · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · 2004

DOI 10.1210/jc.2003-031855

crossover · n=12Cited 744×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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