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Stroke among sour health risks of a sweet tooth
I’ve had a sweet tooth ever since I was a kid riding my bike to the corner store to buy Swedish fish candy.
These days, I love having the occasional cookie with my afternoon tea, and I often reach for a square of chocolate after dinner.
I know sugar is not great for my health, but it doesn’t stop me from craving those sweet treats, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who gives in occasionally.
But the reasons for keeping that to a bare minimum are compelling, to say the least…
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Sweet tooth, sour health results
New research from the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom took a look at food preferences of 180,000 volunteers within the UK Biobank and grouped them into three general profiles:
- Health-conscious: prefers fruits and vegetables over animal-based and sweet foods and has higher dietary fiber intake
- Omnivore: Likes most foods, including meats, fish and some vegetables, as well as sweets and desserts
- Sweet tooth: Prefers sweet foods and sugary drinks; is less interested in healthier options like fruit and vegetables
Then, researchers examined data on blood samples to measure 2,923 proteins — known for helping with functions including fighting infections to contracting muscles — and 168 metabolites — small molecules produced during digestion and other chemical processes in the body — that can indicate how well our body is functioning.
By comparing these blood-based proteins and metabolites, the researchers were able to get a clearer picture of any biological differences between the three groups. And their findings were alarming…
The sweet tooth group was 31 percent more likely to have depression and had higher rates of diabetes and vascular heart conditions (or stroke) compared to the other two groups.
“The foods that you like or dislike seem to directly link to your health,” says Nophar Geifman, senior author of the study and a professor at the University of Surrey. “If your favorite foods are cakes, sweets and sugary drinks, then our study’s results suggest that this may have negative effects on your health.
“Processed sugar is a key factor in the diet of many, and these results are yet more evidence that, as a society, we should do all that we can to think before we eat, stressing that no one wants to tell people what to do, our job is just informing people,” Geifman adds.
The researchers also saw differences in standard blood biochemistry tests. The sweet tooth group had higher levels of:
- C reactive protein, a marker for inflammation.
- Glucose and poor lipid profiles, both strong warning signs for diabetes and heart disease.
By contrast, the health-conscious group had lower risks for heart failure, chronic kidney diseases and stroke. The omnivore group had moderate health risks.
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Tricking your sweet taste buds
On average in the UK, between 9 and 12.5 percent of an individual’s calories come from free sugar, or sugar that is added to food and drink. Cookies, buns, cakes, pastries and fruit pies are the biggest single contributors for adults; however, when taken together, sugary soft drinks and alcoholic drinks contribute the most to free sugar intake.
The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting calories from added sugars to 10 percent of daily intake, or about 12 teaspoons for a 2,000-calorie diet. Unfortunately, the average American gets about 18 and a half teaspoons of added sugars every day.
Cutting back on sugar can be tough for people with a sweet tooth, but there are ways to fool your taste buds into thinking they’re getting sugary satisfaction without actually consuming added sugars. The simplest way is to reach for fruit.
Berries are a great choice for a few reasons, but one that’s especially relevant to taming your sweet tooth…
A study from researchers at Loughborough University in England saw that munching on berries in the afternoon helped people consume significantly less food throughout the day. In their test, the researchers found that people who snacked on berries ate less at a later meal than folks who snacked on bars, cookies or other confectionery snacks.
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Sources:
Having a sweet tooth is linked to higher risk of depression, diabetes, and stroke, study finds — EurekAlert!
Artificial intelligence driven definition of food preference endotypes in UK Biobank volunteers is associated with distinctive health outcomes and blood based metabolomic and proteomic profiles — Journal of Translational Medicine
Cut Down on Added Sugars — ODPHP
By Carolyn Gretton
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