The effects of four hypocaloric diets containing different levels of sucrose or high fructose corn syrup on weight loss and related parameters

Lowndes Joshua, Kawiecki Diana, Pardo Sabrina, Nguyen Von, Melanson, Yu Zhiping, Rippe

Description

The replacement of sucrose with HFCS in food products has been suggested as playing a role in the development of obesity as a public health issue. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of four equally hypocaloric diets containing different levels of sucrose or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Methods This was a randomized, prospective, double blind trial, with overweight/obese participants measured for body composition and blood chemistry before and after the completion of 12 weeks following a hypocaloric diet. The average caloric deficit achieved on the hypocaloric diets was 309 kcal. Results Reductions were observed in all measures of adiposity including body mass, BMI,% body fat, waist circumference and fat mass for all four hypocaloric groups, as well as reductions in the exercise only group for body mass, BMI and waist circumference. Conclusions Similar decreases in weight and indices of adiposity are observed when overweight or obese individuals are fed hypocaloric diets containing levels of sucrose or high fructose corn syrup typically consumed by adults in the United States.

Sujets

• High-fructose corn syrup
• Weight loss

Informations

• Publié par: biomed
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 370
• Langue: English

Extrait

Lowndes et al. Nutrition Journal 2012, 11:55
http://www.nutritionj.com/content/11/1/55
RESEARCH Open Access
The effects of four hypocaloric diets containing
different levels of sucrose or high fructose corn
syrup on weight loss and related parameters
1 1 1 1 2 1Joshua Lowndes , Diana Kawiecki , Sabrina Pardo , Von Nguyen , Kathleen J Melanson , Zhiping Yu
1*and James M Rippe
Abstract
Background: The replacement of sucrose with HFCS in food products has been suggested as playing a role in the
development of obesity as a public health issue. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of four
equally hypocaloric diets containing different levels of sucrose or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
Methods: This was a randomized, prospective, double blind trial, with overweight/obese participants measured for
body composition and blood chemistry before and after the completion of 12 weeks following a hypocaloric diet.
The average caloric deficit achieved on the hypocaloric diets was 309 kcal.
Results: Reductions were observed in all measures of adiposity including body mass, BMI,% body fat, waist
circumference and fat mass for all four hypocaloric groups, as well as reductions in the exercise only group for
body mass, BMI and waist circumference.
Conclusions: Similar decreases in weight and indices of adiposity are observed when overweight or obese
individuals are fed hypocaloric diets containing levels of sucrose or high fructose corn syrup typically consumed by
adults in the United States.
Keywords: High fructose corn syrup, Hypocaloric diet, Weight loss, Dietary counseling
Introduction Over the years a variety of potential causes for obesity
During the past 30 years, the consumption of added have been posited, including increased carbohydrate con-
sugars has increased [1-3]. Although this represents only sumption [11] and most recently an increased consump-
a small percentage of the overall increase in energy in- tion of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) [4]. In particular,
take, this has caused some investigators to suggest a some studies in animals have linked consumption of
linkage between added sugars and weight gain and obes- added sugars, in general, and HFCS, in particular, with
ity [4-9]. The American Heart Association (AHA) re- weight gain and obesity [12-14], although these studies
cently released a Scientific Statement recommending have been criticized for delivering amounts of added
significant restrictions on consumption of added sugars, sugars above those consumed in the human diet. Given
suggesting that dailyion in adult males and the complexity of energy regulation, it is unlikely that
females should not exceed 150 and 100 calories, respect- one, single component of the diet causes obesity. None-
ively [10]. These restrictions, which are lower than levels theless, many myths persist in this area and are given
of added sugars currently consumed by 90% of adults, traction when prestigious scientific organizations such as
were framed as a potential way to reduce the burden of the American Heart Association (10) recommend
obesity and cardiovascular disease. restricting one specific component of the diet.
National recommendations for healthful weight loss
* Correspondence: [e-mail] focus on strategies that include both overall caloric re-
1
Rippe Lifestyle Institute, 215 Celebration Place, Suite 300, Celebration FL
striction and increased physical activity [15]. However,
34747, USA
few individuals actually follow these guidelines byFull list of author information is available at the end of the article
© 2012 Lowndes et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Lowndes et al. Nutrition Journal 2012, 11:55 Page 2 of 10
http://www.nutritionj.com/content/11/1/55
incorporating both dietary restriction and increased Previous research studies in our laboratory and others
physical activity [16]. Multiple studies have shown that employing a model comparing sucrose to HFCS did not
equally hypocaloric diets will result in comparable reveal any differences in short term energy regulating
weight loss irrespective of nutrient composition of these hormones or appetite when comparing the two sugars
diets [17-19]. Whether macronutrient content of the diet [31,32]. This is not surprising given the relatively similar
effects weight loss, however, remains a topic of debate composition of sucrose and HFCS. Sucrose is a disach-
and controversy [20-23]. It appears that the critical con- haride containing 50% fructose and 50% glucose. HFCS
sideration is adherence to whichever hypocaloric diet is has two main forms commonly used in the food supply.
employed [14]. HFCS-55, the form of HFCS commonly used to sweeten
Many of the studies suggesting linkages between added carbonated soft drinks in the United States consists of
sugar and either cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or 55% fructose and 45% glucose. HFCS-42, the common
other metabolic conditions are based on experiments form of HFCS used in baked goods and other products
employing a model comparing pure fructose to pure glu- contains 42% fructose and 58% glucose. We elected to
cose [24-26], neither of which is commonly consumed in include an “active” control group which utilized exercise
the human diet [27], or on epidemiologic studies which only (predominantly through walking) since, in our ex-
establish associations but not cause and effect [7- perience, control groups which do not ask participants
9,28,29]. Very few prospective data are available explor- to make any changes in their daily lives in weight loss
ing the effects of either sucrose or HFCS (the two largest studies have often resulted in extremely high rates of
sources of fructose in the diet) and comparing their dropout due to dissatisfaction with group selection. Fur-
effects on body weight and body composition. thermore, individuals often believe that exercise will re-
It has been argued that it is the fructose moiety of sult in weight loss, despite the fact that most studies
both sucrose and HFCS that is particularly worrisome suggest that exercise alone results in minimum weight
in terms of potential effects on appetite and subsequent loss. Walking exercise was also included in the four milk
weight gain [4,5,29]. This argument posits that differ- consuming groups to make the physical activity portion
ences in hepatic metabolism between fructose and glu- of this study equivalent across all five groups. Further-
cose can contribute to increased caloric consumption more, current recommendations for healthy weight loss
because of different effects on short term energy regu- typically involve both energy restriction and physical ac-
lating hormones. In particular, studies employing a tivity, so we wished to incorporate both of these modal-
model of 20% or 25% of total calories ingested as pure ities in our research design.
fructose compared to similar numbers of calories With these considerations as background, the current
ingested from pure glucose have suggested that differ- study was undertaken to explore whether two different
ences in responses of insulin, leptin and ghrelin create amounts of either sucrose or HFCS, when consumed at
circumstances where increased caloric consumption current population levels (10% or 20% of calories as
th th
might occur following ingestion of fructose, but not fructose, representing the 25 and 50 percentile popu-
glucose [24-26]. In particular, the failure of fructose in lation fructose intake levels, respectively) have any ad-
these studies to stimulate insulin production, with sub- verse impact on the ability to lose weight or change
sequent leptin production and suppression of ghrelin, body composition when consumed as part of mixed nu-
suggested a metabolic situation where increased appe- trient, hypocaloric diets. To our knowledge, this is the
tite and subsequent weight gain could occur. first prospective study to examine the effects of added
It has been argued by some investigators that an in- sugars on overweight or obese individuals attempting to
crease in sugar consumption may be a contributing fac- lose weight when sugars are consumed at levels typical
tor to increases in overweight and obesity. However, of the adult population in the context of hypocaloric, en-
data from the U.S. Agriculture’s Economic Research Ser- ergy restricted diets and modest levels of physical
vice between 1970 and 2008 showed that the increase in activities.
sugar intake over the past 4 decades has been only a
small percentage of the overall increase in energy intake. Methods and procedures
Sugars and caloric sweeteners available for consumption This study was a 12 week, randomized, prospective,
increased by an average of 58 calories per day (from 400 double blind trial involving 247 overweight/obese sub-
calories to 458 calories) [30] whereas total calories avail- jects between the ages of 25–60 conducted at two sites
able for individuals in the United States increased 515 in Orlando, Florida. Staff members and subjects were
kilocalories per day from just over 2,100 calories to just blinded as to whether or not participants in the trial
under 2,700 calories [30]. Thus, increases in sweeteners were consuming