According to a Swedish study published this Monday, December 9, sugary drinks increase the risk of contracting cardiovascular diseases more than pastries or chocolate.
A surprising discovery. Consuming sugary drinks, such as fruit juices or sodas, increases the risk of cardiovascular disease more than sweets such as pastries, chocolate or candy, according to a Swedish study published this Monday, December 9 by Frontiers. On the contrary, reasonable consumption of these treats even reduces the risk of contracting this type of disease.
“This surprising contrast highlights the importance of considering not only the amount of sugar consumed, but also its source and context,” says Suzanne Janzi, a researcher at Lund University in Sweden and first author of the study. , in a press release.
Be careful, we must not forget that in general, excessive consumption of added sugars increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases according to this study carried out on nearly 70,000 Swedish men and women aged 45 to 83, followed for 22 years. . But it appears that these added sugars are even more harmful to health when they are contained in drinks.
“Extremely low sugar intake may not be beneficial”
Consuming more than eight glasses per week of fruit juice or soda increases the risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm by 31%, ischemic stroke by 19% or even heart failure by 18%. Note that “even without added sugar, a fruit juice can contain as much sugar as a soda”, underlines from Le Figaro Mathilde Touvier, research director in nutritional epidemiology at Inserm (National Institute of Health and Medical Research).
The risk with treats or toppings like honey or jam is much lower. On the contrary, consuming a reasonable quantity of some pastries tends to reduce this risk.
“Figures show that people who consume 14 per week reduce their risk of developing heart problems by 30%, compared to those who only consume 2,” explains Suzanne Janzi.
It is therefore not recommended to stop or radically reduce your sugar consumption either. “Although our observational study cannot establish a cause and effect link, these results suggest that extremely low sugar consumption may not be necessary or beneficial for cardiovascular health,” says the researcher.
“This could reflect underlying dietary behaviors: individuals consuming very little sugar could have a very restrictive diet or limit their sugar intake due to pre-existing health conditions,” she notes elsewhere.
The consumption of sweet toppings reduces the risk of contracting heart failure by 10% and aortic stenosis by 15 to 20% depending on the quantity. However, moderation is always required. The risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm increases by 34% in the event of excessive consumption, i.e. more than 28 servings per week. In general, ANSES recommends not “consuming more than 100 grams of sugars per day (excluding lactose and galactose) and no more than one glass of sugary drink”.
Liquid sugars that “provide less satiety”
Although it is established that additional work will be necessary to understand the difference between the impacts of sugary drinks and sweets on the body, one element has already been put forward: the mode of consumption.
“Liquid sugars, found in sugary drinks, generally provide less satiety than solid forms, that is, they make you feel less full, which can lead to overconsumption,” explains Suzanne Janzi. Additionally, “context also plays a role.”
“Candy treats are often consumed in a social setting or on special occasions, while sugary drinks can be consumed more regularly,” adds the researcher.
“Il It is also common to consume a glass of soda outside of meals, which causes an additional glycemic peak, having a greater impact on the risk of cardiovascular disease,” adds Guillaume Walther, professor of experimental cardiovascular physiology, to Le Figaro. at the University of Avignon.
To find more scientific explanations, such as differences in metabolism, researchers would like to conduct studies on other populations. “Our results are based on a Swedish population, whose dietary habits and lifestyle factors may differ from those of other populations,” said Suzanne Janzi. “These results cannot be directly transposed to other populations with different food cultures.”
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