American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 27, 1043-1051, Copyright © 1974 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Sucrose and various carbohydrate-containing foods and serum lipids in man

¹ Professor, Laboratory of Physiological Hygiene, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
² Professor Emeritus, Laboratory of Physiological Hygiene

The effects of several high carbohydrate foods on fasting serum cholesterol, phospholipids, and triglyceride levels were tested in 12 young men. The men were distributed into four groups, each of which was given a diet containing a different supplement. The four supplements (500 kcal of carbohydrate each) contained, respectively, sucrose, wheat flour, mixed fruits, and mixed vegetables. Egg white was added as needed to equalize protein in all the supplements. In consecutive 2-week periods, the supplements were exchanged so that in four periods each group received every supplement. Fasting blood samples were taken on the last 3 days of each period. There was no significant difference in serum cholesterol levels except for the vegetable diet, which produced much lower serum cholesterol than any of the other three diets. The serum phospholipids were also lower with the vegetable diet than with any of the other diets. No significant difference in serum triglycerides was found between the four diets. In a second similar experiment, diets containing sucrose, wheat flour, chickpeas, and a mixture of dry peas and beans were compared. No significant between-diets difference was found for either cholesterol, phospholipids, or triglycerides in this experiment. These results indicate that in 2-week dietary periods sucrose does not cause higher fasting serum cholesterol, phospholipids, or triglycerides than either wheat flour or dry leguminous seeds in amounts containing isocaloric quantities of starch.

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