FRUCTOSE IN THE DIABETIC DIET

Fructose is an energy-yielding sweetener coming from different natural sources (fruit, berries, and vegetables) or is added to soft drinks, bakery products, and candies. The current content of fructose in the diabetic diet seems to be within recommendations. Because of the low glycemic index of fructose, fructose may be an alternative as a sweetener for those diabetic patients who like sweet foods but are liable to high postprandial glucose concentrations. In patients with mild non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, fructose may result in lower postprandial glucose and insulin responses than will most other carbohydrate sources. In clinical studies, fructose has either improved metabolic control of diabetic patients or caused no significant changes. In patients susceptible to hypertriglyceridemia high doses of fructose should be avoided because of a potential hypertriglyceridemic effect. Long-term experiences about the use of fructose from large scale controlled studies on diabetic patients are lacking.