Fructose and sucrose drinks raise liver fat-making in men
What it found
In healthy men, drinks sweetened with fructose or sucrose increased the liver's fat-making rate about two-fold compared with no sugary drinks.
The same amount of glucose did not.
What they found
Studies in people
Liver fat-making rate
Men who drank fructose or sucrose beverages had about a two-fold higher basal hepatic fractional secretion rate than the control group. The median rate was 19.7 %/day for fructose and 20.8 %/day for sucrose, compared with 9.1 %/day for controls.
Glucose drinks
The same amount of glucose did not change the liver's fat-making rate. The median was 11.0 %/day, which was not a significant change.
New VLDL-triglyceride
Fructose intake did not change the basal secretion of newly made VLDL-triglyceride.
Fat breakdown and oxidation
Fructose did not alter the rate of fat breakdown in the body, nor total fatty acid and plasma free fatty acid oxidation.
Calorie intake
Total energy intake was similar across all groups.
What the authors conclude
“Regular consumption of both fructose- and sucrose-sweetened beverages in moderate doses - associated with stable caloric intake - increases hepatic FA synthesis even in a basal state; this effect is not observed after glucose consumption.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that regular consumption of both fructose- and sucrose-sweetened beverages in moderate doses, with stable calorie intake, increases hepatic fatty acid synthesis even in a basal state.
- They note that this effect is not seen after glucose consumption.
- They say their findings provide evidence of an adaptive response to regular fructose exposure in the liver.
How it was done
Excessive fructose intake has been linked to more de novo lipogenesis, higher blood triglycerides, and hepatic insulin resistance. The authors wanted to see whether fructose has specific effects on lipid metabolism on its own, separate from eating too many calories.
They studied 94 healthy men in a double-blind, randomised trial. For 7 weeks, the men drank daily sugar-sweetened beverages with moderate amounts of fructose, sucrose, or glucose (80 g/day) alongside their usual diet, or they drank no sugary beverages (control group).
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This trial was in healthy men only, so the results may not apply to women or to people with existing health conditions.
- It lasted 7 weeks, so it cannot show what happens over years of regular sugary drink consumption.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Conflict of interest The authors have declared that no conflicts of interest exist with regard to this study. Please refer to the accompanying ICMJE disclosure forms for further details.
- Authors work at
- University Hospital Zurich (USZ) and University of Zurich (UZH), Switzerland; Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland; Institute for Biomedicine and Health Sciences, Austria
The paper
- Title
- Fructose- and sucrose- but not glucose-sweetened beverages promote hepatic de novo lipogenesis: A randomized controlled trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Geidl-Flueck B, Hochuli M, Németh Á, et al (2021). Fructose- and sucrose- but not glucose-sweetened beverages promote hepatic de novo lipogenesis: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of hepatology. doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2021.02.027PubMed 33684506DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error