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 " .
Diet and risk of clinical diabetes in women.
To determine the relations of diet with risk of clinical noninsulin-dependent diabetes , we analyzed data from a prospect i ve cohort of 84360 US women . During 6 y of follow-up we identified 702 definite incident cases . Because body mass index ( BMI ) is a powerful risk factor for diabetes , we examined the relations of fat ( including type ) , fiber , sucrose , and other components of diet to risk of diabetes , among women with BMI s ( in kg/m2 ) less than 29 kg/m2 . After controlling for body mass index , previous weight change , and alcohol intake , we observed no associations between intakes of energy  , protein , sucrose ,  carbohydrate  ,  or fiber and risk of diabetes . Compared with women in the lowest quintile of energy-adjusted intake , and relative risks ( and tests for trend ) for those in the highest quintile were 0.61 ( P trend = 0.03 ) for vegetable fat , 0.62 ( P trend = 0.008 ) for potassium , 0.70 ( P trend = 0.005 ) for calcium , and 0.68 ( P trend = 0.02 ) for magnesium . These inverse associations were attenuated among obese women ( BMI s greater than or equal to 29 )
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 " .