Sweeteners & Diabetes

Weak Association Between Sweeteners or
Sweetened Beverages and Diabetes

John S. White, White Technical Research, Argenta, IL.

This letter to the editor by John S. White in the January 2008 Journal of Nutrition questions the conclusions of an article published in the same journal suggesting a unique causal link between beverages sweetened with high fructose corn syrup and type 2 diabetes by Montonen et al.1 White notes that the authors fail to acknowledge the compositional similarities between sucrose and high fructose corn syrup as well as the "dominant use of sucrose in caloric beverages outside the United States."

In closing, White states:

"The hypothesis that fructose, HFCS, and caloric beverages play a unique role in obesity and type 2 diabetes beyond their inherent energy contributions has generated tremendous attention from scientists and the media, but no credible scientific support. The failure of Montonen et al. to demonstrate that higher intake of fructose, glucose, and sweetened beverages, but not sucrose, may increase type 2 diabetes risk offers nothing new in support of this hypothesis."

1. Montonen J, Jarvinen R, Knekt P, Heliovaara M, Reunanen A. Consumption of sweetened beverages and intakes of fructose and glucose predict type 2 diabetes occurrence. J Nutr. 2007;137:1447-54

Journal of Nutrition 138:138, January 2008