Dietary sugars may be affecting cholesterol levels: Study

Increasing intakes of sugars from processed and prepared foods may detrimentally affect levels of HDL ‘good’ cholesterol, says a new study from the US.

In the first study of its kind to examine a link between the consumption of added sugars and lipid measures, scientists from Emory University in Atlanta report that dietary sugars may also be boosting triglyceride levels, which have been linked to increased heart disease risk.
Their findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), were based on analysis of data from 6,113 adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2006.
The data also shows that the daily consumption of added sugars has increased by about 6 per cent since the late 1970s, with 15.8 per cent of calories now coming from added sugars – in 1977-1978 it was only 10.6 per cent.
“Added sugars are food additives that can be recognized by consumers and have been proposed for specific labeling on food and beverage packaging,” wrote the researchers, led by Jean Welsh.
“The results of our study demonstrate that increased added sugars are associated with important cardiovascular disease risk factors, including lower HDL-C levels, higher triglyceride levels, and higher ratios of triglycerides to HDL-C,” they added.
National pressures
Only last month the UK’s Food Standards Agency unveiled its final recommendations to industry for cutting sugar and saturated fat in soft drinks, confectionery and bakery products, which includes trimming back portion sizes of some products.
Reformulation of products along healthier lines is billed as part of the struggle against obesity, along with increased physical activity and education efforts. The FSA’s strategy has been to engage with the food industry over the efforts it can make, and try to take into consideration factors that can limit the scope of reformulation and impacts.
Study details
Welsh and her co-workers investigated if consumption of added sugars could affect blood lipid levels; and in particular levels of HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides.


(ref: foodnavigator.com)