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# Who says fructose promotes obesity?
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/who-says-fructose-promotes-obesity/
- Published: 2011-06-05T10:29:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T15:43:51.000Z
- Description: In a six-week Mexican trial of 131 obese patients, both energy-restricted diets produced significant weight loss, but the one with 50 to 70 grams of natural fructose a day led to more of it: 4.19 pounds against 2.83 pounds on the low-fructose diet.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Food, Nutrition, Obesity, Fructose, #vivvo-import

By David Liu, Ph.D. and editing by Elizabeth Hutchinson

Fructose has been associated with obesity. Many people believe that fructose, which often appears in the form of high-fructose corn syrup and is commonly used in sugary drinks and processed foods, may be responsible for the obesity epidemic in the U.S.

However, a Mexican study published in the May 27, 2011 issue of Metabolism suggests this is not the case when people use an energy restricted diet. In fact, the study suggests moderate natural fructose consumption in a calorie-restricted diet can actually help obese people lose more weight.

For the study, M. Madero of Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez in Mexico City, Mexico and colleagues tested two energy restricted diets, one with a moderate amount of natural fructose (50 to 70 grams per day) and the other with a low amount of fructose (less than 20 grams per day) in 131 obesity patients who had an average body mass index of 32.4 kg/m(2) at baseline. 

Both diets had three different levels of energy, 1500, 1800, and 2000 calories per day.

Subjects were randomly picked to receive one diet or the other. The dietary intervention lasted for six weeks. Weight loss in patients was calculated as the primary outcome, and blood pressure, lipid profile, blood sugar, insulin resistance, uric acid, and others levels were measured as the secondary outcomes.

Patients in both energy restricted diets experienced significant weight loss. Furthermore, both diets improved the secondary outcomes.

But, more weight loss was observed in those who were on the diet that contained a moderate amount of fructose, compared to those on the diet with low fructose intake, 4.19 pounds versus 2.83 pounds.

The researchers did not relate in the abstract of their study report how fructose intake affects weight loss in each energy level.

They concluded though that an energy-restricted diet with a moderate amount of natural fructose results in more weight loss than a low fructose energy restricted diet.

The results suggest fructose alone does not boost the risk of obesity, and that a calorie-restricted diet is more important for weight loss. 

However, this does not mean that high-fructose corn syrup has the same effect as natural fructose. 

Rutgers University researchers have found reactive carbonyls in [high fructose corn syrup](https://www.foodconsumer.org/corn%5Fsugar%5F1509100616/), which are present at high levels in the blood of diabetes patients.