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Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) featured article

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) include commonly consumed products such as soda, sports drinks, and energy drinks; coffee, tea, and water with added sugars; and some fruit juices, although not all nutrition experts agree on fruit juice’s inclusion as an SSB. While the consumption of SSBs has declined in recent decades, they remain a leading contributor to sugar intake among people living in the United States.

While the over-consumption of sugar from any source is harmful for health, SSBs present a physiologically unique risk to health due to a converging set of factors. Because they contain no supporting food matrix to slow absorption, SSBs are rapidly absorbed by the gut and cause blood sugar spikes. Sugars from fruits and vegetables are packaged with a matrix of fiber and micronutrients that reduce the rate of digestion. This slow digestion and absorption reduces blood sugar spikes and supports better glycemic control. Additionally, many SSBs [exceed the recommended maximum...

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  • Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs)

    Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are terminological synonyms denoting drinks formulated with added caloric sweeteners.

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  • Sugar-sweetened beverages contribute to weight gain and increase the risk of severe health concerns, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A recent study revealed that in 2020, sugar-sweetened drinks were linked to 2.2 million new cases of type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new cases of cardiovascular disease globally.

    Researchers utilized the Global Dietary Database to assess the global, regional, and national effects of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease associated with sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in 184 countries, comparing data from 1990 to 2020. They also considered factors such as age, sex, education, and whether people lived in urban or rural areas to provide further context for the findings.

    They found that sugar-sweetened beverages were associated with 9.8% of new type 2 diabetes cases and 3.1% of new cardiovascular disease cases in 2020. The burden was greatest in Latin America and the Caribbean, where sugar-sweetened beverages accounted for 24.4% of type 2 diabetes cases and 11.3% of cardiovascular disease cases. Sub-Saharan Africa also experienced a marked increase in type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease related to sugar-sweetened beverages over the past three decades.

    These findings suggest that sugar-sweetened beverages have deleterious effects on human health and underscore the need for targeted interventions to reduce their consumption. Learn more about sugar-sweetened beverages in our overview article.

  • It’s no surprise that sugar-sweetened drinks can contribute to weight gain, dental problems, and metabolic impairments. But emerging evidence suggests they can also harm your heart. A recent study found that consuming more than eight sugar-sweetened drinks weekly increases the risk of various cardiovascular diseases by as much as 31%.

    Researchers investigated links between sugar intake and cardiovascular disease among nearly 70,000 people. They asked participants about their sugar intake from various sugar-sweetened foods and drinks. Then, using national disease registers, they ascertained the incidence of various cardiovascular diseases, including ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, myocardial infarction (heart attack), heart failure, aortic stenosis (narrowing of the aorta), atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rhythm), and abdominal aortic aneurysm (ballooning of the major blood vessel in the abdomen).

    They found that the risk of developing cardiovascular disease varied according to disease type and sugar source. However, drinking more than eight sugar-sweetened beverages weekly carried the greatest risk, increasing a person’s chances of ischemic stroke by 19%, heart failure by 18%, atrial fibrillation by 11%, and abdominal aortic aneurysms by 31%.

    The investigators posited that sugar in beverages is readily metabolized, increasing its potential for harm. Learn more about the health effects of sugar-sweetened beverages in our overview article.

  • Xylitol is a sugar alcohol commonly used as a sugar substitute in various processed foods, such as chewing gum and candies. A recent study found that xylitol consumption may increase the risk of major cardiovascular events. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution.

    Researchers analyzed metabolic markers in blood samples from more than 1,100 people undergoing elective cardiac evaluations and measured blood xylitol levels in more than 2,100 healthy volunteers. Then, they assessed the effects of xylitol on platelet function and clot formation. Finally, they gave 10 healthy volunteers a xylitol-sweetened drink to determine how xylitol consumption influenced platelet function.

    They found that people with the highest xylitol levels had a 57% higher risk of a major cardiovascular event than those with the lowest levels. Xylitol increased several markers of platelet reactivity and clot formation.

    Xylitol and its relationship with platelet coagulation.

    Study link: https://t.co/dSYmWwDZPT

    Xylitol is a sugar alcohol commonly used as a sugar substitute in various processed foods, such as chewing gum and candies. A recent study found that xylitol consumption may increase the risk of major cardiovascular events.

    Researchers analyzed metabolic markers in blood samples from more than 1,100 people undergoing elective cardiac evaluations and measured blood xylitol levels in more than 2,100 healthy volunteers. Then, they assessed the effects of xylitol on platelet function and clot formation. Finally, they gave 10 healthy volunteers a xylitol-sweetened drink to determine how xylitol consumption influenced platelet function.

    They found that people with the highest xylitol levels had a 57% higher risk of a major cardiovascular event than those with the lowest levels. Xylitol increased several markers of platelet reactivity and clot formation.

    These findings suggest that xylitol increases cardiovascular risks; however, they should be interpreted with caution. Learn more about this study and its interpretation in this recent Q&A with Dr. Rhonda Patrick.

  • Sugar-sweetened beverages encompass a wide variety of drinks, including soft drinks/sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks, and coffees. People who are physically active often consume sugar-sweetened sports drinks to replenish the electrolytes lost during exercise. While this can be beneficial during prolonged, intense physical activities, the added sugar content in many sports drinks might not be necessary for routine exercise or for people engaging in moderate physical activity. A recent study found that for every additional serving of sugar-sweetened beverages consumed daily, the risk of cardiovascular disease increased by 18 percent for physically active people and 12 percent for those who were inactive.

    The study involved more than 105,000 adults enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study who were healthy at the time of enrollment. Researchers gathered information from the participants regarding their physical activity, cardiovascular health, and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.

    They found that participants who consumed more than two servings of sugar-sweetened beverages per day were 21 percent more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those who rarely or never consumed them. For each additional serving of sugar-sweetened beverages consumed daily, the risk of cardiovascular disease increased by 18 percent for people who met physical activity guidelines and by 12 percent for those who did not, indicating that physical activity did not compensate for high sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. Participants who did not meet physical activity guidelines and consumed two or more servings per week of sugar-sweetened beverages were 47 percent more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases than those who were physically active and rarely or never drank them.

    These findings suggest that consuming sugar-sweetened beverages markedly increases a person’s risk for cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, physical activity does not offset this risk. Learn more about the health effects of sugar-sweetened beverages in our overview article.

  • Sugar-sweetened beverage intake increases visceral fat.

    Subcutaneous fat is stored just beneath the skin. Commonly associated with a “pear” shape, subcutaneous fat may protect against some diseases. Visceral fat, on the other hand, is stored in the abdominal cavity close to internal organs such as the liver, pancreas, and intestines. An excess of visceral fat, often referred to as central obesity or abdominal obesity, is commonly associated with an “apple” shape and an increased risk of developing many chronic diseases. Findings from a 2016 study suggest that sugar-sweetened beverage intake increases visceral fat deposition.

    Sugar-sweetened beverages include commonly consumed products such as soda, sports drinks, energy drinks, and other beverages that contain added sugars. Many sugar-sweetened beverages exceed the recommended maximum daily added sugar intake of 25 grams in a single serving. They are the leading contributor to sugar intake among people living in the United States.

    The investigation involved 1,160 participants enrolled in the Third Generation of the Framingham Heart Study who underwent repeated computed tomography scans (approximately six years apart) to assess the amount of fat in their abdominal region, including subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. Participants provided information about their dietary intake, physical activity, overall health, and whether they smoked. Investigators categorized the participants according to their sugar-sweetened beverage or diet soda intake, ranging from non-consumers (drinking none to less than one serving per month) to daily consumers (drinking one or more servings per day.

    They found that sugar-sweetened beverage intake was associated with visceral fat gain in a dose-dependent manner, with daily consumers gaining 29 percent more visceral fat over a six-year period than non-consumers. These findings held true even after accounting for the participants' age, gender, physical activity, body mass index, and other factors. Drinking diet soda was not associated with visceral fat gain.

    These findings suggest that drinking sugar-sweetened beverages increases visceral fat, potentially contributing to an increased risk of chronic disease. Learn more about sugar-sweetened beverages in our overview article.