Diabetes Metab J.  2016 Aug;40(4):283-289. 10.4093/dmj.2016.40.4.283.

Glycemic Effects of Rebaudioside A and Erythritol in People with Glucose Intolerance

• Shin DH
• Lee JH
• Kang MS
• Kim TH
• Jeong SJ
• Kim CH
• Kim SS
• Kim IJ

• KMID: 2368515
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4093/dmj.2016.40.4.283

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Rebaudioside A and erythritol are nonnutritive sweeteners. There have been several studies of their glycemic effects, but the outcomes remain controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the glycemic effects of rebaudioside A and erythritol as a sweetener in people with glucose intolerance.
METHODS
This trial evaluated the glycemic effect after 2 weeks of consumption of rebaudioside A and erythritol as sweeteners in a pre-diabetic population. The patients were evaluated for fructosamine, fasting plasma glucose, C-peptide, insulin, and 2-hour plasma glucose before and after consumption of sweetener. The primary outcome was a change in fructosamine levels from the baseline to the end of treatment. Secondary outcomes were the changes in levels of fasting plasma glucose and 2-hour plasma glucose.
RESULTS
From the baseline to the end of experiment, the changes in fructosamine levels after consumption of rebaudioside A and erythritol, did not differ significantly (244.00±19.57 vs. 241.68±23.39 µmol/L, P=0.366). The change in levels from the baseline to end of the study for rebaudioside A and erythritol were fasting plasma glucose (102.56±10.72 vs. 101.32±9.20 mg/dL), 2-hour plasma glucose (154.92±54.53 vs. 141.92±42.22 mg/dL), insulin (7.56±4.29 vs. 7.20±5.12 IU/mL), and C-peptide (2.92±1.61 vs. 2.73±1.31 ng/mL), respectively, and also did not differ significantly (P>0.05 for all).
CONCLUSION
Our study suggests that consumption of rebaudioside A and erythritol does not alter the glucose homeostasis in people with glucose intolerance.

Keyword

Erythritol; Glucose intolerance; Rebaudioside A

MeSH Terms

Blood Glucose
C-Peptide
Erythritol*
Fasting
Fructosamine
Glucose Intolerance*
Glucose*
Homeostasis
Humans
Insulin
Sweetening Agents
C-Peptide
Erythritol
Fructosamine
Glucose
Insulin
Sweetening Agents

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Mean change from the baseline to 2 weeks in fructosamine.

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  Fig. 2 Mean change from the baseline to 2 weeks in (A) fasting plasma glucose (FPG), (B) 2-hour plasma glucose.

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  Fig. 3 Mean change from the baseline to 2 weeks in (A) homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and (B) homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β).

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