ABSTRACT
An increase in the use of sweeteners containing fructose has occurred in parallel with the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity over the past three decades in the United States (Bray et al., 2004), suggesting that increased consumption of fructose, high fructose corn syrup and/ or sucrose may contribute to the current epidemic of obesity and the increased incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) (Bray et al., 2004; Havel, 2005). In animal studies, consumption of diets high in fructose produces obesity, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia (Storlien et al., 1993; Martinez et al., 1994; Okazaki et al., 1994; Bezerra et al., 2000;
Elliott et al., 2002; Havel, 2005). In humans, moderate fructose consumption has no apparent health concerns (Dolan et al., 2010; Rizkalla, 2010), but the health consequences of fructose consumption in large amounts are less clear, particularly its effects on substrate utilization and body weight regulation.
