Gut hormone secretion, gastric emptying, and glycemic responses to erythritol and xylitol in lean and obese subjects.
With the increasing prevalence of obesity and a possible association with increasing sucrose consumption, nonnutritive sweeteners are gaining popularity. Given that some studies indicate that artificial sweeteners might have adverse effects, alternative solutions are sought. Xylitol and erythritol have been known for a long time and their beneficial effects on caries prevention and potential health benefits in diabetic patients have been demonstrated in several studies. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and cholecystokinin (CCK) are released from the gut in response to food intake, promote satiation, reduce gastric emptying (GE), and modulate glucose homeostasis. Although glucose ingestion stimulates sweet taste receptors in the gut and leads to incretin and gastrointestinal hormone release, the effects of xylitol and erythritol have not been well studied. Ten lean and 10 obese volunteers were given 75 g of glucose, 50 g of xylitol, or 75 g of erythritol in 300 ml of water or placebo (water) by a nasogastric tube. We examined plasma glucose, insulin, active GLP-1, CCK, and GE with a [(13)C]sodium acetate breath test and assessed subjective feelings of satiation. Xylitol and erythritol led to a marked increase in CCK and GLP-1, whereas insulin and plasma glucose were not (erythritol) or only slightly (xylitol) affected. Both xylitol and erythritol induced a significant retardation in GE. Subjective feelings of appetite were not significantly different after carbohydrate intake compared with placebo. In conclusion, acute ingestion of erythritol and xylitol stimulates gut hormone release and slows down gastric emptying, whereas there is no or only little effect on insulin release.
Department of Biomedicine of the University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Research of the St. Claraspital Basel, Basel, Switzerland; bettina.woelnerhanssen@claraspital.ch.
Bettina K
BK
Wölnerhanssen
Department of Biomedicine of the University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland;
Lucian
L
Cajacob
Department of Biomedicine of the University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland;
Nino
N
Keller
Diabetes Complications Research Centre, Conway Institute University College, Dublin, Ireland;
Alison
A
Doody
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark;
Jens F
JF
Rehfeld
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland;
Juergen
J
Drewe
Department of Surgery of the St. Claraspital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Ralph
R
Peterli
Department of Research of the St. Claraspital Basel, Basel, Switzerland;
Christoph
C
Beglinger
Department of Biomedicine of the University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland;
Anne Christin
AC
Meyer-Gerspach
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004896:Erythritol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000187:drug effects*; D005947:Glucose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006728:Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015990:Placebo Effect; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013851:Thinness / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014993:Xylitol / Q000008:administration & dosage
D006728:Hormones; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D005947:Glucose; D004896:Erythritol; D014993:Xylitol
erythritol; gastric emptying; incretins; sweetener; xylitol