We conclude based on high quality evidence from r and omized controlled trials ( RCT ) , systematic review s and meta-analyses of cohort studies that singling out added sugars as unique culprits for metabolically based diseases such as obesity , diabetes and cardiovascular disease appears inconsistent with modern , high quality evidence and is very unlikely to yield health benefits .
While it is prudent to consume added sugars in moderation , the reduction of these components of the diet without other reductions of caloric sources seems unlikely to achieve any meaningful benefit
Added sugars are a controversial and hotly debated topic .
Consumption of added sugars has been implicated in increased risk of a variety of chronic diseases including obesity , cardiovascular disease , diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease ( NAFLD ) as well as cognitive decline and even some cancers .
Support for these putative associations has been challenged , however , on a variety of fronts .
The purpose of the current review is to summarize high impact evidence including systematic review s , meta-analyses , and r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) , in an attempt to provide an overview of current evidence related to added sugars and health considerations .
This paper is an extension of a symposium held at the Experimental Biology 2015 conference entitled " Sweeteners and Health : Current Underst and ings , Controversies , Recent Research Findings and Directions for Future Research " .
Effect of a High-Fructose Weight-Maintaining Diet on Lipogenesis and Liver Fat.
CONTEXT Consumption of high-fructose diets promotes hepatic fatty acid synthesis ( de novo lipogenesis [ DNL ] ) and an atherogenic lipid profile . It is unclear whether these effects occur independent of positive energy balance and weight gain . OBJECTIVES We compared the effects of a high-fructose , ( 25 % of energy content ) weight-maintaining diet to those of an isocaloric diet with the same macronutrient distribution but in which complex carbohydrate ( CCHO ) was substituted for fructose . DESIGN , SETTING , AND PARTICIPANTS Eight healthy men were studied as in patients for consecutive 9-day periods . Stable isotope tracers were used to measure fractional hepatic DNL and endogenous glucose production ( EGP ) and its suppression during a euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp . Liver fat was measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy . RESULTS Weight remained stable . Regardless of the order in which the diets were fed , the high-fructose diet was associated with both higher DNL ( average , 18.6 ± 1.4 % vs 11.0 ± 1.4 % for CCHO ; P = .001 ) and higher liver fat ( median , + 137 % of CCHO ; P = .016 ) in all participants . Fasting EGP and insulin-mediated glucose disposal did not differ significantly , but EGP during hyperinsulinemia was greater ( 0.60 ± 0.07 vs 0.46 ± 0.06 mg/kg/min ; P = .013 ) with the high-fructose diet , suggesting blunted suppression of EGP . CONCLUSION Short-term high-fructose intake was associated with increased DNL and liver fat in healthy men fed weight-maintaining diets
We conclude based on high quality evidence from r and omized controlled trials ( RCT ) , systematic review s and meta-analyses of cohort studies that singling out added sugars as unique culprits for metabolically based diseases such as obesity , diabetes and cardiovascular disease appears inconsistent with modern , high quality evidence and is very unlikely to yield health benefits .
While it is prudent to consume added sugars in moderation , the reduction of these components of the diet without other reductions of caloric sources seems unlikely to achieve any meaningful benefit
Added sugars are a controversial and hotly debated topic .
Consumption of added sugars has been implicated in increased risk of a variety of chronic diseases including obesity , cardiovascular disease , diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease ( NAFLD ) as well as cognitive decline and even some cancers .
Support for these putative associations has been challenged , however , on a variety of fronts .
The purpose of the current review is to summarize high impact evidence including systematic review s , meta-analyses , and r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) , in an attempt to provide an overview of current evidence related to added sugars and health considerations .
This paper is an extension of a symposium held at the Experimental Biology 2015 conference entitled " Sweeteners and Health : Current Underst and ings , Controversies , Recent Research Findings and Directions for Future Research " .