New Research Findings On The Negative Health Effects of Added Sugar
A new study found that eating a high amount of added sugar has been linked with negative health outcomes. In a large review of 73 meta-analyses, which included 8,601 studies, high consumption of added sugar was associated with significantly higher risks of 45 negative health outcomes. These include diabetes, gout, obesity, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, cancer, asthma, tooth decay, depression and early death.
The study focused on free sugars - those added during the processing of foods; packaged as table sugar and other sweeteners; and naturally occurring in syrups, honey, fruit juice, vegetable juice, purees, pastes and similar products in which the cellular structure of the food has been broken down. This category does not include sugars naturally occurring in dairy or structurally whole fruits and vegetables.
The study suggests that people should limit free sugar intake to less than 25 grams per day and reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages to less than one serving per week. To change sugar consumption patterns, the authors think “a combination of widespread public health education and policies worldwide is urgently needed.”
The study was an umbrella review of existing meta-analyses. The researchers searched databases such as PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, or cross-sectional studies that evaluated the effect of dietary sugar consumption on any health outcomes in humans free from acute or chronic diseases.
The search identified 73 meta-analyses and 83 health outcomes from 8601 unique articles. The researchers evaluated the quality of evidence, potential biases, and validity of all available studies on dietary sugar consumption and health outcomes. They found significant harmful associations between dietary sugar consumption and 18 endocrine/metabolic outcomes, 10 cardiovascular outcomes, seven cancer outcomes, and 10 other outcomes (neuropsychiatric, dental, hepatic, osteal, and allergic).
