Sugary drink intake and cardiovascular risk

Similar to previous studies, researchers found that consuming sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages “significantly increased” the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation.

However, they also found that the relationship between added sugar and cardiovascular risk is more complex than previously assumed, based not only on the amount of sugar ingested, but also on its source and context. did.

large scale research

Researchers collected data from two major cohort studies: the Swedish Mammography Cohort and the Swedish Men's Cohort. In these studies, dietary questionnaires were completed between 1997 and 2009 to capture participants' dietary status over time. When researchers excluded participants with independent risk factors and adjusted the cohort to the same inclusion criteria, the sample rose to 69,705 people. Participants' ages ranged from 45 to 83 years.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide and are reported to be responsible for approximately 32% of all deaths. National Institutes of Health.

That is also reflected in data from Sweden, where 25,739 participants were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease during the study period, which ended in 2019.

While most studies on sugar intake tend to focus on sugar-sweetened beverage intake, researchers are looking into how different types of sugar intake affect the risk of different types of cardiovascular disease. I decided to investigate in detail.

So researchers looked at sugar intake divided into three classes. These include sweetened beverages (excluding sweet sodas, fruit drinks and fruit juices), toppings (honey, sugar, jam and marmalade), bakery products, dairy products and confectionery (pastries, ice creams and sweets). and chocolate).

They then looked at seven cardiovascular diseases: two different types of stroke, heart attack, heart failure, aortic aneurysm, atrial fibrillation, and aortic valve stenosis.

sugary drinks

Publish the results in a magazine Frontiers of public health, Researchers have found that consuming sugary drinks is worse for your health than any other sugar. Drinking more sugary drinks significantly increases the risk of ischemic stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and abdominal aortic aneurysm.

One of the reasons is overconsumption. The liquid sugar found in sugary drinks is usually less satiating than solid sugar. This means that you won't feel full even if you drink them.

Another background is how such beverages are consumed. This is often done during social gatherings or special occasions, so sugary drinks are consumed more regularly and not necessarily just because you're thirsty.

However, the British Soft Drinks Association urges caution when approaching these findings.

“This is an observational study and cannot prove cause,” the spokesperson said. “All soft drinks can be safely consumed as part of a balanced diet.”

Additionally, it points out the options available in this field. More than 7 out of 10 soft drinks sold in the UK were low-carb or sugar-free in 2023, but between March 2014 and March 2020, take-home sugar from soft drinks fell by 43.5 percentage points. did. %.

Is it good for you to consume a little sugar?

One of the surprises the study revealed was that occasional consumption of sweet treats such as pastries, ice cream, sweets, and chocolate was actually associated with better outcomes than no treats at all. That was it.

While this may not make much sense, researchers suggest considering this in the overall context of dietary behavior.

People with extremely low sugar intake may be on very restrictive diets or may be restricting sugar due to pre-existing health conditions.

Researchers also highlight a unique cultural factor in Sweden: the fika tradition. This is a place where people gather with friends, relatives and colleagues to enjoy coffee and pastries.

That said, this finding requires further research, especially to see if it replicates in other populations.

However, their findings suggest that extremely low sugar intake has no beneficial consequences for cardiovascular health, although researchers stress the need for a deeper understanding of this point.

cardiovascular disease

Different cardiovascular diseases were affected differently by increased sugar intake. This is likely because added sugar intake had a different impact on participants' individual risk profiles.

In general, increased carbohydrate intake increased the risk of ischemic stroke and abdominal aortic aneurysm, and also increased the risk of heart failure in participants with a normal BMI.

“The results of this study on the association between added sugar and CVD risk show that the association varies by disease and source of added sugar, highlighting the importance of studying them separately. ” the authors wrote in their study.