FRUCTOSE AND BEHAVIOR - DOES FRUCTOSE INFLUENCE FOOD-INTAKE AND MACRONUTRIENT SELECTION

Fructose, as compared with other sugars, may have a suppressant effect on subsequent food intake and may result in a different selection of macronutrients. The research investigating these effects and the possible underlying mechanisms of action is reviewed. These mechanisms include fructose's effects on the rate of gastric emptying, concentrations of plasma glucose and insulin, and hepatic metabolism. The research is not conclusive. Questions that remain to be examined more thoroughly are the time course of fructose's effects on food intake and macronutrient selection in the short-term, and effects of long-term administration of fructose on these appetitive processes.