The adverse health effects of sugar-sweetened beverage intake are well-established, but the implications of overall added sugar intake remain unclear. In studies done over 50 years ago (The Seven Countries Study for one), dietary sugar was linked to coronary artery disease (CAD) risk, particularly when found in pasttries. Dietary sugar intake has skyrocketed since then with more and more processed food calories in the average diet. What is the risk now? Researchers in Sweden have published new data that provide alarming news about added sugar in the diet.
The reserachers investigated the associations between intake of added sugar and various sugar-sweetened foods and beverages and risk of 7 cardiovascular diseases in 69,705 participants aged 45–83 years (47% female) from the Swedish Mammography cohort and Cohort of Swedish men.
Questionnaire-based diet and lifestyle assessments were administered in 1997 and 2009. National registers were used for ascertainment of ischemic stroke (n = 6,912), hemorrhagic stroke (n = 1,664), myocardial infarction (n = 6,635), heart failure (n = 10,090), aortic stenosis (n = 1,872), atrial fibrillation (n = 13,167), and abdominal aortic aneurysm (n = 1,575) until 2019.
Added sugar intake was positively associated with ischemic stroke and abdominal aortic aneurysm. Disease associations were found between sugary toppings intake and abdominal aortic aneurysm, and between sweetened beverage intake (soda) and ischemic stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and abdominal aortic aneurysm. Negative associations were found between treats intake (pastries, ice cream, chocolate, and sweets) and all adverse outcomes, and between toppings intake (table sugar, honey, jams, and marmalades) and heart failure and aortic stenosis.
For sweetened beverages, more than eight servings per week was associated with increased risk for ischemic stroke (19%), HF (18%), AF (11%) and AAA (31%).
The findings suggest that the associations between added sugar intake and cardiovascular diseases vary by disease and source of added sugar.
The findings emphasize the adverse health effects of sweetened beverage consumption.
The summary reported on cardiovascular news websites were that:
Swedish researchers reported that “extremely low” sugar intake may not be necessary to prevent heart disease, and some treats throughout the week may be acceptable as moderate intake was associated with reduced CV risk.
One of the authors commented that: “Liquid sugars, found in sweetened beverages, typically provide less satiety than solid forms — they make you feel less full — potentially leading to overconsumption. Context also matters — treats are often enjoyed in social settings or special occasions, while sweetened beverages might be consumed more regularly.”
They went on to report that: A little of what you fancy does you good… unless it’s a fizzy drink. Scientists studying the impact of sugar on the risk of cardiovascular disease have found that eating too much added sugar increases your risk of stroke or aneurysm, but eating a few treats is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases. Meanwhile, drinking sweetened beverages raises your risk of stroke, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation.
Bottom line: Do not drink your calories as sugar sweetened beverages and be moderate, low, or absent, in sugar from other sources. Whole fruit is always OK.
