An interventional study of galactose and fructose in Glucose, sponsored by University of Bath. Recruiting at 1 site in United Kingdom. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-08.
Sponsored by University of Bath · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science
This project will establish the degree to which adding low-dose galactose to a meal can control blood sugar levels. People will consume standardised glucose drinks (75g glucose, as an oral glucose tolerance test). People will consume these with and without the addition of galactose, and with the addition of another sugar (fructose) for an extra comparison. The investigators will use state-of-the-art labelling methods (dual stable isotope technology) to follow what happens to the glucose that is ingested and understand what happens to sugar being released by the liver and sugar being taken up by other tissues like the muscles. These methods can tell the investigators how the addition of galactose can control blood sugar levels. For example, the galactose could slow down the appearance of glucose from the gut and/or liver released into the blood, or it could increase the disappearance of glucose from the blood into muscles. The investigators will measure the appearance of the label on exhaled breath, which will establish whether ingested sugar is stored, or burned as fuel. The investigators will also explore other potential ways in which galactose might control blood sugar levels by measuring key hormones and metabolites that contribute to blood sugar control (for example, insulin, fatty acids, and incretin hormones which potentiate insulin secretion). This additional evidence of how galactose can control blood sugar levels will provide the understanding required to best make use of this approach across a variety of settings.
Exclusion Criteria:
75 g oral glucose tolerance test
Dietary Supplement: Glucose Powder
75 g oral glucose tolerance test plus 7.5 g galactose
Dietary Supplement: galactose · Dietary Supplement: Glucose Powder
75 g oral glucose tolerance test plus 7.5 g fructose
Dietary Supplement: fructose · Dietary Supplement: Glucose Powder
7.5 g galactose
7.5 g fructose
75 g glucose
Glucose incremental area under the curve
Difference in glucose concentration incremental area under the curve between treatments over a 180-minute postprandial period.
Time frame: 180 minutes
Plasma glucose kinetics
Difference in plasma glucose kinetics (rate of total glucose appearance, rate of endogenous glucose appearance, rate of exogenous glucose appearance, rate of glucose disappearance and glucose metabolic clearance rate) between treatments over a 180-minute postprandial period.
Time frame: 180 minutes
Oxidative and non-oxidative fate of ingested glucose
Difference in oxidative and non-oxidative fate of ingested glucose between treatments over a 180-minute postprandial period.
Time frame: 180 minutes
Glucoregulatory and metabolite concentrations
Difference in glucoregulatory hormone and metabolite incremental area under the curve between treatments over a 180-minute postprandial period, with the following metabolites and hormones: Insulin, C-peptide Glucagon, Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), Non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), Glycerol, Uric acid, Triacylglycerol. Oxygen saturation, pH, Bicarbonate.
Time frame: 180 minutes
Whole-body carbohydrate and fat oxidation
Difference in whole-body carbohydrate and fat oxidation rates between treatments over a 180-minute postprandial period.
Time frame: 180 minutes
Other analyte concentrations
Difference in hormone and analyte concentrations during the postprandial period, adjusted for baseline, with the following analytes: Fructose Galactose Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol High-density lipoprotein cholesterol C-reactive protein Aspartate transaminase Alanine aminotransferase
Time frame: 180 minutes
Plan to share: Yes — IPD will be shared via the University of Bath data repository in deidentified form at the point of publication of the primary outcome in a peer-reviewed journal.
Supporting information: Study protocol, Sap, Icf, Analytic code
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