HEALTH NEWS

Study Title:

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Rapidly Induce Adverse Health Changes in Healthy People

Study Abstract

Background: Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) have unfavorable effects on glucose and lipid metabolism if consumed in high quantities by obese subjects, but the effect of lower doses in normal-weight subjects is less clear.

Objective: The aim was to investigate the effects of SSBs consumed in small to moderate quantities for 3 wk on LDL particle distribution and on other parameters of glucose and lipid metabolism as well as on inflammatory markers in healthy young men.

Design: Twenty-nine subjects were studied in a prospective, randomized, controlled crossover trial. Six 3-wk interventions were assigned in random order as follows: 600 mL SSBs containing 1)40 g fructose/d [medium fructose (MF)], 2) 80 g fructose/d [high fructose (HF)], 3) 40 g glucose/d [medium glucose (MG)], 4) 80 g glucose/d [high glucose (HG)], 5) 80 g sucrose/d [high sucrose (HS)], or 6) dietary advice to consume low amounts of fructose. Outcome parameters were measured at baseline and after each intervention.

Results: LDL particle size was reduced after HF by −0.51 nm (95% CI: −0.19, −0.82 nm) and after HS by −0.43 nm (95% CI: −0.12, −0.74; P < 0.05 for both). Similarly, a more atherogenic LDL subclass distribution was seen when fructose-containing SSBs were consumed (MF, HF, and HS: P < 0.05). Fasting glucose and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) increased significantly after all interventions (by 4–9% and 60–109%, respectively; P < 0.05), leptin increased during interventions with SSBs containing glucose only (MG and HG: P < 0.05).

Conclusion: The present data show potentially harmful effects of low to moderate consumption of SSBs on markers of cardiovascular risk such as LDL particles, fasting glucose, and hs-CRP within just 3 wk in healthy young men, which is of particular significance for young consumers. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01021969.

Study Information

Isabelle Aeberli, Philipp A Gerber, Michel Hochuli, Sibylle Kohler, Sarah R Haile, Ioanna Gouni-Berthold, Heiner K Berthold, Giatgen A Spinas, and Kaspar Berneis.
Low to moderate sugar-sweetened beverage consumption impairs glucose and lipid metabolism and promotes inflammation in healthy young men: a randomized controlled trial1,2,3,4
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
2011 August
Interdisciplinary Metabolism Center, Virchow Clinic Campus and Department of Geriatrics, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany and the Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, Zurich, Switzerland.