Subgroup analyses showed the most marked relation between sugar intakes and lipids in studies in which efforts were made to ensure an energy balance and when no difference in weight change was reported .
CONCLUSIONS Dietary sugars  influence blood pressure and serum lipids .
The relation is independent of effects of  sugars on body weight .
BACKGROUND Dietary sugars have been suggested as a cause of obesity , several chronic diseases , and a range of cardiometabolic risk factors , but there is no convincing evidence of a causal relation between sugars and risk factors other than body weight .
OBJECTIVE We conducted a systematic review and meta- analysis of r and omized controlled trials that examined effects of the modification of dietary free sugars on blood pressure and lipids .
Sucrose-sweetened beverages increase fat storage in the liver, muscle, and visceral fat depot: a 6-mo randomized intervention study.
BACKGROUND The consumption of sucrose-sweetened soft drinks ( SSSDs ) has been associated with obesity , the metabolic syndrome , and cardiovascular disorders in observational and short-term intervention studies . Too few long-term intervention studies in humans have examined the effects of soft drinks . OBJECTIVE We compared the effects of SSSDs with those of isocaloric milk and a noncaloric soft drink on changes in total fat mass and ectopic fat deposition ( in liver and muscle tissue ) . DESIGN Overweight subjects ( n = 47 ) were r and omly assigned to 4 different test drinks ( 1 L/d for 6 mo ) : SSSD ( regular cola ) , isocaloric semiskim milk , aspartame-sweetened diet cola , and water . The amount of intrahepatic fat and intramyocellular fat was measured with (1)H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy . Other endpoints were fat mass , fat distribution ( dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and magnetic resonance imaging ) , and metabolic risk factors . RESULTS The relative changes between baseline and the end of 6-mo intervention were significantly higher in the regular cola group than in the 3 other groups for liver fat ( 132 - 143 % , sex-adjusted mean ; P < 0.01 ) , skeletal muscle fat ( 117 - 221 % ; P < 0.05 ) , visceral fat ( 24 - 31 % ; P < 0.05 ) , blood triglycerides ( 32 % ; P < 0.01 ) , and total cholesterol ( 11 % ; P < 0.01 ) . Total fat mass was not significantly different between the 4 beverage groups . Milk and diet cola reduced systolic blood pressure by 10 - 15 % compared with regular cola ( P < 0.05 ) . Otherwise , diet cola had effects similar to those of water . CONCLUSION Daily intake of SSSDs for 6 mo increases ectopic fat accumulation and lipids compared with milk , diet cola , and water . Thus , daily intake of SSSDs is likely to enhance the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases . This trial is registered at clinical trials.gov as NCT00777647
Subgroup analyses showed the most marked relation between sugar intakes and lipids in studies in which efforts were made to ensure an energy balance and when no difference in weight change was reported .
CONCLUSIONS Dietary sugars  influence blood pressure and serum lipids .
The relation is independent of effects of  sugars on body weight .
BACKGROUND Dietary sugars have been suggested as a cause of obesity , several chronic diseases , and a range of cardiometabolic risk factors , but there is no convincing evidence of a causal relation between sugars and risk factors other than body weight .
OBJECTIVE We conducted a systematic review and meta- analysis of r and omized controlled trials that examined effects of the modification of dietary free sugars on blood pressure and lipids .