Consuming sugary drinks increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and atrial fibrillation, according to a Swedish study. According to their findings, sweets have a lower impact.
- Different types of sugars do not have the same effects on cardiovascular health.
- Consumption of sugary drinks, such as soda or fruit juice, is associated with more cardiovascular risks, compared to sweets.
- This could be linked to consumption habits, but also to the effects of this type of sugar on satiety.
Not all sugars are equal. In Frontiers in Public HealthSwedish and Danish researchers show that processed sugars do not all have the same effects on health. They thus discovered that those present in drinks, such as fruit juices or sodas, have more effects on cardiovascular health than those present in candies or other sweets.
A study on the links between different forms of sugar and cardiovascular disease
This team from the universities of Lund and Copenhagen worked on the links between sugar and cardiovascular diseases. “These diseases are the leading cause of death and illness in Europe, and changing your diet is a relatively simple way to reduce your risk.”they recall in a press release. They based themselves on two studies carried out between 1997 and 2009 from which they retained a sample of 69,705 patients. Scientists have created three categories of sugar consumption: toppings like honey, treats like a pastry, or sugary drinks like soda. They focused on seven cardiovascular diseases: two different types of stroke, heart attacks, heart failure, aortic aneurysms, atrial fibrillation and aortic stenosis. “During this period, 25,739 participants were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease.observe the authors.
Sugary drinks are more harmful to cardiovascular health than sweets
They found that drinking sugary drinks was worse for your health than any other form of sugar: drinking more sugary drinks significantly increased the risk of ischemic stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and aneurysm. of the abdominal aorta. “Liquid sugars, found in sugary drinks, generally provide less satiety than solid forms – they make you feel less full – which can lead to overconsumption“, specifies the main author of the study, Suzanne Janzi. She also emphasizes that the context of consumption is not the same: sweets, like candy for example, are often reserved for special occasions while drinks sweetened foods, like fruit juices, can be consumed every day, or even several times a day.
Cardiovascular health: a necessary reduction in sugar consumption
In their results, the highest risks of cardiovascular disorder appeared in the lowest candy consumption category. “The most striking result of our study is the divergent relationship between different sources of added sugar and cardiovascular disease risk, concludes this specialist. This surprising contrast highlights the importance of considering not only the amount of sugar consumed, but also its source and context.”
In 2016, the World Health Organization already called on countries to act to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks. In a reportthe WHO has demonstrated thatThe taxation of sugary drinks helps reduce the consumption of these products and reduce the number of cases of obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay. “Sugar is not nutritionally necessary, recalled Dr Francesco Branca, Director of the WHO Department of Nutrition for Health and Development. The WHO recommends keeping possible intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy requirements and reducing it to less than 5% if additional health benefits are to be obtained. This is the equivalent of a single 250 ml glass of sugary drink per day.”