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 " .
Brain functional magnetic resonance imaging response to glucose and fructose infusions in humans.
AIMS In animals , intracerebroventricular glucose and fructose have opposing effects on appetite and weight regulation . In humans , functional brain magnetic resonance imaging ( fMRI ) studies during glucose ingestion or infusion have demonstrated suppression of hypothalamic signalling , but no studies have compared the effects of glucose and fructose . We therefore sought to determine if the brain response differed to glucose vs. fructose in humans independently of the ingestive process . METHODS Nine healthy , normal weight subjects underwent blood oxygenation level dependent ( BOLD ) fMRI measurements during either intravenous ( IV ) glucose ( 0.3 mg/kg ) , fructose ( 0.3 mg/kg ) or saline , administered over 2 min in a r and omized , double-blind , crossover study . Blood was sample d every 5 min during a baseline period and following infusion for 60 min in total for glucose , fructose , lactate and insulin levels . RESULTS No significant brain BOLD signal changes were detected in response to IV saline .  BOLD signal in the cortical control areas increased during glucose infusion ( p = 0.002 ) , corresponding with increased plasma glucose and insulin levels . In contrast , BOLD signal decreased in the cortical control areas during fructose infusion ( p = 0.006 ) , corresponding with increases of plasma fructose and lactate . Neither glucose nor fructose infusions significantly altered BOLD signal in the hypothalamus . CONCLUSION In normal weight humans , cortical responses as assessed by BOLD fMRI to infused glucose are opposite to those of fructose . Differential brain responses to these sugars and their metabolites may provide insight into the neurologic basis for dysregulation of food intake during high dietary fructose intake
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 " .