The battle of the sexes may be on—even in the way both genders metabolize fructose, a simple sugar commonly used to sweeten drinks and foods. This was proven during a study conducted by Dr. Luc Tappy and colleagues from the Lausanne University School of Biology and Medicine in Switzerland.

Researchers enlisted 16 healthy non-smoking male and female, about 23 years old and of normal weight, who were asked to follow two separate six-day diets separated by a four-week washout period.

The men and women did not participate in any exercise or sports while following either the said “control” regimen, or the other diet which included a lemon-flavored drink containing 3.5 grams of fructose. Researchers then tested 12 fasting metabolic parameters the day after the participants completed their diets.

It was found that the men participants showed significant increases in 11 out of the 12 fasting metabolic factors, including a five percent increase in fasting glucose and 71 percent in triglyceride levels. This may mean an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes.

On the other hand, the women showed a four percent increase in glucose and 16 percent increase in triglyceride levels after the high fructose diet. Overall, the women showed significant increases in only four out of the 12 factors tested.

The researchers noted that more studies are needed to more accurately identify gender differences in metabolic pathways and to confirm the results of their study in a larger population.

Related terms:

• fructose metabolism men vs women

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