These scientists and nutritionists from Lund University (Malmö, Sweden) and the University of Copenhagen are studying the impact of sugar on the risk of cardiovascular disease. Their study confirms that consuming too much added sugar increases the risk of stroke or aneurysm, but that a few treats from time to time are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease! This well-being effect is not observed with sugary drinks: these drinks increase the risk of stroke, heart failure and atrial fibrillation.
One of the authors, Suzanne Janzi, researcher at Lund University, describes “the divergent relationship between different sources of added sugar and the risk of cardiovascular disease: a surprising contrast that highlights the importance of taking into account not only the quantity of sugar consumed, but also its source and context of consumption”.
Although most public health organizations recommend limiting sugar consumption for various health reasons (metabolic health, dental health, etc.), there are
little evidence of the impact of sugar consumption on cardiovascular disease.
This association must therefore be the subject of research, while cardiovascular diseases remain the main cause of death and illness in Europe and in the world, and diet is today well recognized as one of the major factors of good health.
The study analyzes dietary data from large cohort studies, the Swedish Mammography Cohort and the Cohort of Swedish Men collected in 1997 and 2009, which allowed scientists to monitor participants' diets over time. This analysis of data from 69,705 participants took into account 3 categories of sugar consumption:
- toppings like honey,
- treats like pastries,
- sugary drinks including carbonated ones.
The analysis also took into account 7 cardiovascular diseases:
- the 2 different types of stroke,
- heart attacks,
- heart failure,
- aortic aneurysms,
- atrial fibrillation,
- aortic stenosis.
Participants were followed until they died or were diagnosed with one of the cardiovascular diseases or until the end of the follow-up period in 2019. During follow-up:
- 25,739 participants were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease;
- consumption of sugary drinks is associated with the highest incidence of cardiovascular disease, including ischemic stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and abdominal aortic aneurysm;
- different cardiovascular diseases are associated with different types of sugar consumption;
- however, more generally, increased sugar in general increases the risk of ischemic stroke and abdominal aortic aneurysm, as well as the risk of heart failure in participants with normal BMI;
surprisingly,
- the highest risk of negative cardiovascular health outcomes appears in the lowest candy consumption category;
- occasional consumption of sweets is indeed associated with better results than the total absence of treats!
What explanation? The complete lack of consumption of treats could reflect a very/too restrictive diet or even pre-existing health problems.
If the observational study does not establish a cause and effect relationship, these results remind us that the best diet is a varied diet,
which must also please and contribute to well-being and quality of life.
Health
