Sweetener augmentation of serum triacylglycerol during a fat challenge test in humans

Objective: High concentrations of fructose enhance postprandial lipemia following lipid loading whereas glucose exerts a negative or minimal effect. This study evaluated the effect of lower sweetener concentrations and the contribution of their sweetness level and palatability. Methods: At each of four test sessions, twelve male and ten female healthy adults ingested one of four milkshakes containing 108 g dairy cream alone or supplemented with 30 g fructose, 17.5 g glucose or 1 g aspartame. Blood samples were collected at baseline, two, four, six and eight hours after ingestion. Sensory discrimination tests were conducted after the last two sessions. Results: Fructose and glucose led to 37% (p=0.03) and 59% (p=0.08) rises in triacylglycerol area under the curve (TG AUG) when compared to the plain milkshake, respectively. Although the sweetened shakes were equisweet and were more palatable than the plain shake, the TG rise after the aspartame milkshake did not differ from the plain milkshake. Conclusions: These data indicate that low levels of glucose and fructose consumed with lipid enhance postprandial lipemia. Sweetness and palatability did not account for the effect.