A surprising discovery. The consumption of sugary drinks, such as fruit juices or soft drinks, increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases more than sweets such as pastries, chocolate or candy, according to a Swedish study published this Monday, December 9, by Frontiers. On the contrary, a reasonable consumption of these sweets even reduces the risk of contracting these types of diseases.
“This striking contrast highlights the importance of considering not only the amount of sugar consumed, but also its source and context,” Suzanne Janzi, a researcher at Lund University in Sweden and first author of the study, said 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 among almost 70,000 Swedish men and women between 45 and 83 years old, followed for 22 years. But it seems that these added sugars are even more harmful to health when they are found in drinks.
“Extremely low sugar intake may not be beneficial”
Consuming more than eight glasses per week of fruit juice or soft drinks increases the risk of suffering from an abdominal aortic aneurysm by 31%, an ischemic stroke by 19% or even heart failure by 18%. Keep in mind that “even without added sugar, a fruit juice can contain as much sugar as a soft drink,” he stresses. from Le Figaro Mathilde Touvier, director of research in nutritional epidemiology at Inserm (National Institute of Health and Medical Research).
The risk with sweets or dressings such as honey or jam is much lower. On the contrary, consuming a reasonable amount of some baked goods tends to reduce this risk.
“Figures show that people who consume 14 per week reduce the risk of developing heart problems by 30%, compared to those who only consume 2,” explains Suzanne Janzi.
Therefore, it is not recommended to suspend or radically reduce sugar consumption. “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: people who consume very little sugar could have a very restrictive diet or limit their sugar intake due to pre-existing health conditions,” he notes elsewhere.
Consumption of sweet dressings reduces the risk of heart failure by 10% and aortic stenosis by 15 to 20%, depending on the amount. However, moderation is always required. The risk of suffering an abdominal aortic aneurysm increases by 34% in case of excessive consumption, that is, 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 advanced: 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. Furthermore, “the context also influences.”
“Candy is usually consumed in a social setting or on special occasions, while sugary drinks can be consumed more regularly,” adds the researcher.
“He It is also common to consume a glass of soft drink outside of meals, which causes an additional glycemic spike, which has a greater impact on the risk of cardiovascular disease,” adds Guillaume Walther, professor of experimental cardiovascular physiology, to Le Figaro in the University. of Avignon.
To find more scientific explanations, such as differences in metabolism, researchers would like to conduct studies in 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 translated to other populations with different food cultures.”
Source: BFM TV
