Endocrine responses to sugar ingestion in man. Advantages of fructose over sucrose and glucose.

Nine normal subjects ingested 100 gm. glucose, fructose, and sucrose on separate days after an overnight fast. Plasma glucose, fructose, insulin, glucagon, growth hormone, and triglyceride levels were then measured over the following 5 hr. Plasma glucose and insulin peaks were both significantly lower after fructose ingestion as compared with glucose and sucrose. Plasma glucagon suppression was significantly less after fructose. Growth hormone showed a late stimulation after glucose and sucrose but did not rise after fructose intake. Triglyceride levels were significantly increased at 3 to 5 hr. after fructose ingestion.