Why should sugar be reduced at the table? It makes chronic diseases worse, new study finds

Chinese and American researchers looked at 8,601 scientific studies on sugar and combined them to assess its impact on 83 health outcomes. This exercise resulted in a list that cites the world’s most common health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart attacks, high cholesterol, cancer and depression. The researchers looked at studies that assessed the impact of eating free sugars, which is any food that contains processed or natural sugars like table sugar, honey or maple syrup. The sugar found in whole fruits, vegetables and milk is not considered free sugar.

The new analysis also found links between sugary drinks and health problems. “People who consumed sugary drinks more frequently were likely to ingest more total and saturated fat, carbohydrates, sodium, and less fruit, fiber, dairy, and whole-grain foods. This diet was also associated with more frequent smoking and alcohol consumption, lower levels of physical activity and increased time spent watching television, therefore the role of these confounders should be considered to explain the association between sugar consumption and disease burden,” the authors wrote.

They even advocated a global advertising awareness campaign. “To change sugar consumption habits, especially for children and adolescents, a combination of education and widespread public health policies around the world is urgently needed,” they added.

Reacting to the BMJ Mega Review, Dr. V Mohan, Chairman of Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialties Center and President of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, says direct consumption of sugar can lead to obesity, heart disease, diabetes and even certain types of cancer. “The recent BMJ review investigates the impact of consuming free sugar from sugary drinks and straight sugar itself. We should just cut out desserts and even home-extracted fruit juices. You see, fruit Cut fruits contain a lot of fiber and their bulk means you end up consuming less of them. Juices need more fruit. And the sugar in fruit is still sugar. Of course, the highest sugar intake comes from sugary drinks and sodas which are loaded.As for specific sugar consumption habits and diabetes, one may not get diabetes simply by consuming sugar if there is a tolerance to the glucose. But a pre-diabetes condition can quickly escalate into diabetes because the excess sugar means the beta cells in the pancreas can’t keep up with the demands placed on them,” he says.

In fact, Dr. Mohan himself was part of a study on sugar and its impact on all-cause mortality in collaboration with Dr. David Jenkins of the University of Toronto and other experts, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. “We found that the glycemic index and the glycemic load of the diet were strongly related to mortality. This was one of the first studies to show how the consumption of sugary foods and the increase in glycemic load had various health consequences.Through different mechanisms, dietary sugar elevates triglyceride levels, aggravates diabetes, dyslipidemia, and causes obesity and inflammation.All of these contribute to an increased risk of heart disease and of strokes,” says Dr. Mohan.

So, what are the lessons of the exam? “Limit your sugar intake and avoid it completely if you have a family history of heart disease, diabetes, and are overweight. Take tea and coffee without sweeteners, which recent studies have shown increase the risk of heart disease. Include more green leafy vegetables in your diet and cut down on polished white rice and refined wheat. Reduce carbohydrate intake and increase consumption of beans, legumes, and grams, or vegetable protein sources. And all Indians, who are struggling with chronic diseases anyway, should seriously consider creating a dedicated exercise and physical activity routine. Indians can no longer afford to be sedentary,” adds Dr Mohan.