Fructose as a Dietary Sweetener in Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Human beings, including those with diabetes, have a desire for sweetness in the diet that cannot be ignored. The Food and Drug Administration ban of cyclamates and possible ban of saccharin have raised the question of alternative sweeteners for diabetic persons. Considerable interest has been focused on fructose, and both basic and clinical research has delineated its metabolic effects. This paper reviews the characteristics of fructose, as well as its physiology and metabolism in both normal and diabetic man. Findings seems to indicate that, in controlled diabetes, chronic or limited consumption of fructose at moderate doses has no adverse effects on the levels of blood glucose, cholesterol, or tryglycerides.