Nutrients often stimulate gut hormone secretion, but the effects of fructose are incompletely understood. We studied the effects of fructose on a number of gut hormones with particular focus on GLP-1 and GIP. In healthy humans, fructose intake caused a rise in blood glucose and plasma insulin and GLP-1, albeit to a lower degree than isocaloric glucose. CCK secretion was stimulated similarly by both carbohydrates, but neither PYY_3-36 nor glucagon secretion was affected by either treatment. Remarkably, while glucose potently stimulated GIP release, fructose was without effect. Similar patterns were found in the mouse and rat, with both fructose and glucose stimulating GLP-1 secretion, while only glucose caused GIP secretion. In GLUTag cells, a murine cell line used as model for L-cells, fructose was metabolized and stimulated GLP-1 secretion dose-dependently (EC₅₀ = 0.155 mM) by K_ATP-channel closure and cell depolarization. Because fructose elicits GLP-1 secretion without simultaneous release of glucagonotropic GIP, the pathways underlying fructose-stimulated GLP-1 release might be useful targets for T2DM and obesity drug development.