Obese people who drink fructose-sweetened beverages with their meals have an increased rise of triglycerides following the meal, according to new research. Increased triglycerides after a meal are known predictors of cardiovascular disease.
Triglycerides are manufactured by the body from dietary fat, and are the most common form of fat transported in blood. Although normal levels of triglycerides are essential for good health, high levels are associated with increased risk for atherosclerosis and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Researchers studied 17 obese men and women. They were given identical meals, and blood was collected from an intravenous catheter over a 24-hour period. The only difference was the sweetener used in the beverages that accompanied the meals – they were given beverages sweetened with glucose for one meal, and beverages sweetened with fructose for another.
Blood triglyceride levels were almost 200 percent higher when subjects drank fructose-sweetened beverages with their meals.