Authorities agree that too much sugar intake is risky
DEAR DR. ROACH: There was some controversy recently in a medical journal about the risk of sugar intake for heart disease. What is your take? -M.P.
ANSWER: There was a recent article in the Annals of Internal Medicine that evaluated recommended limits on added sugar in food. The guidelines came from the World Health Organization, Public Health England and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Although their guidelines were different, all recommended limiting added sugar intake.
The paper, which was funded by a trade group, concluded that the guidelines were based on low-quality evidence and “do not meet criteria for trustworthy recommendations.” That’s the controversy.
I did an extensive search of recent articles on the health effects of high-sugar diets. I found two fairly well-done trials that show a modest increase in risk of chronic diseases (diabetes, heart disease, breast cancer and gallbladder disease) in people who have higher-glycemicindex diets.
I also reviewed a companion piece in the Annals, which found evidence that studies supported by manufacturers of sugar-sweetened beverages were much more likely to find that sugar is NOT a good cause of chronic disease than studies that were independently funded.
This suggests that the sugar industry may be trying, as did the tobacco industry, to discredit work on diet. I must unfortunately conclude that the Annals review paper has a potential for conflicts of interest.
Nearly all authorities agree that excess dietary sugar is a significant risk factor, not only for the development of diabetes, but also for other serious medical conditions. I continue to recommend against excess sugar intake. However, I can’t say exactly how much is safe, so I think using a guideline, such as the U.S. Health and Human Services recommendation to limit to less than 10 percent of daily calories, is rational.
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