Catherine R Braunstein1, Jarvis C Noronha1, Tauseef A Khan1, Sonia Blanco Mejia1, Thomas Ms Wolever2, Robert G Josse3, Cyril Wc Kendall4, John L Sievenpiper5. 1. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto 3D Knowledge Synthesis and Clinical Trials Unit, Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada. 2. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada. 3. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. 4. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto 3D Knowledge Synthesis and Clinical Trials Unit, Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada. 5. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto 3D Knowledge Synthesis and Clinical Trials Unit, Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada. Electronic address: john.sievenpiper@utoronto.ca.
Abstract
AIMS: To synthesize the evidence of the effect of small doses (≤30-g/meal) of fructose and its epimers (allulose, tagatose, and sorbose) on the postprandial glucose and insulin response to carbohydrate-containing meals. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched through to April 9, 2019. We included randomized (RCTs) and non-randomized acute, single-meal, controlled feeding trials that added ≤30-g of fructose or its epimers either prior to or with a carbohydrate-containing meal compared with the same meal alone. Outcomes included the incremental area under the curve (iAUC) for glucose and insulin, the Matsuda Insulin Sensitivity Index, and the Early Insulin Secretion Index. Data were expressed as ratio of means (RoM) with 95% CIs and pooled using the inverse variance method. The overall certainty of the evidence was evaluated using GRADE. RESULTS: Forty trial comparisons (n = 400) were included (none for sorbose). Allulose significantly reduced the postprandial iAUC glucose response by 10% (0.90 [0.84 to 0.96], P < 0.01). Tagatose significantly reduced the postprandial iAUC insulin response by 25% (0.75 [0.62 to 0.91], P < 0.01) and showed a non-significant 3% reduction in the postprandial iAUC glucose response (0.97 [0.94 to 1.00], P = 0.07). There was no effect of fructose on any outcome. The certainty of the evidence was graded as low to moderate for fructose, moderate for allulose, and low for tagatose. CONCLUSIONS: Small doses of allulose and tagatose, but not fructose, lead to modest improvements on postprandial glucose and insulin regulation. There is a need for long-term RCTs to confirm the sustainability of these improvements.
AIMS: To synthesize the evidence of the effect of small doses (≤30-g/meal) of fructose and its epimers (allulose, tagatose, and sorbose) on the postprandial glucose and insulin response to carbohydrate-containing meals. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched through to April 9, 2019. We included randomized (RCTs) and non-randomized acute, single-meal, controlled feeding trials that added ≤30-g of fructose or its epimers either prior to or with a carbohydrate-containing meal compared with the same meal alone. Outcomes included the incremental area under the curve (iAUC) for glucose and insulin, the Matsuda Insulin Sensitivity Index, and the Early Insulin Secretion Index. Data were expressed as ratio of means (RoM) with 95% CIs and pooled using the inverse variance method. The overall certainty of the evidence was evaluated using GRADE. RESULTS: Forty trial comparisons (n = 400) were included (none for sorbose). Allulose significantly reduced the postprandial iAUC glucose response by 10% (0.90 [0.84 to 0.96], P < 0.01). Tagatose significantly reduced the postprandial iAUC insulin response by 25% (0.75 [0.62 to 0.91], P < 0.01) and showed a non-significant 3% reduction in the postprandial iAUC glucose response (0.97 [0.94 to 1.00], P = 0.07). There was no effect of fructose on any outcome. The certainty of the evidence was graded as low to moderate for fructose, moderate for allulose, and low for tagatose. CONCLUSIONS: Small doses of allulose and tagatose, but not fructose, lead to modest improvements on postprandial glucose and insulin regulation. There is a need for long-term RCTs to confirm the sustainability of these improvements.