Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. 75 patients who consumed increasing amounts of high fructose corn syrup for 16 days had a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Sugar consumption by Americans has increased from 6.3 pounds of added sugar per person per year in 1822 to more than 100 pounds per person per year at the turn of the 21st century. Put another way, the average American in 1822 ate the amount of added sugar in one 12-ounce can of soda every 5 days while the average American today eats that much sugar every seven hours (1).
When looking at the link between sugar consumption and cardiovascular disease, the results have been mixed. While a 2014 study (2) found that the average amount of added sugar consumption in the U.S. (13– 14% of daily calories for adults 20–60 years of age (3) and 16% for children and adolescents (4)) was increasing the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease 18%, a 2013 study (5) found no increased risk of cholesterol levels (and subsequent cardiovascular disease risk) in men and women supplemented with beverages containing 8%, 18%, or 30% of daily calories from sucrose or HFCS for 10 weeks
Now a new study (6) suggests that increased added sugar intake may indeed be linked to increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease. In the study, 75 patients (42 men, 33 women) between the ages of 18 and 40 and with Body Mass Index between 18 and 35 kg/m2 consumed beverages sweetened with high fructose corn syrup at 0% (aspartame sweetened control = 23 subjects), 10% (18 subjects), 17.5% (16 subjects), or 25% (28 subjects) of their total calories for 16.5 days in a hospital setting. Blood samples were drawn every 24 hours. The patients’ diets while in the hospital consisted of 55% carbohydrate, 30% from fat, and 15% from protein.
The researchers found the following effects on LDL cholesterol and triglycerides after 16.5 days:
| High | Fructose | Corn | Syrup Content | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0% (Control) | 10% | 17% | 25% | ||
| Triglycerides after meals (“postprandial”) | No change (94 to 94 mg/dL) | 17.6% increase (125 to 147 mg/dL) | 25% increase (100 to 125 mg/dL) | 34.2% increase (108 to 145 mg/dL) | < 0.0001 |
| Triglycerides upon waking (fasting) | 3% decrease (101 to 98 mg/dL) | 6.6% decrease (122 to 114 mg/dL) | No change (97 to 97 mg/dL) | 10.1% increase (108 to 119 mg/dL) | < 0.0001 |
| LDL cholesterol upon waking ("fasting") | 1.2% decrease (84 to 83 mg/dL) | 7.3% increase (95 to 102 mg/dL) | 9.6% increase (93 to 102 mg/dL) | 17.5% increase (91 to 107 mg/dL) | < 0.0001 |
| LDL cholesterol after meals ("postprandial") | 1.3% decrease (81 to 80 mg/dL) | 11.2% increase (89 to 99 mg/dL) | 11.2% increase (89 to 99 mg/dL) | 22% increase (86 to 105 mg/dL) | < 0.0001 |
For the researchers, “These results provide mechanistic support for the evidence that the risk of cardiovascular mortality is positively associated with consumption of increasing amounts of added sugars” and “that humans are sensitive to the adverse effects of sustained sugar consumption at a relatively wide range of intake.” Finally, the researchers believe this study “highlights the need for carefully controlled diet intervention studies to determine prudent amounts of added sugar consumption.”
Source: Stanhope, Kimber L., et al. “A dose-response study of consuming high-fructose corn syrup–sweetened beverages on lipid/lipoprotein risk factors for cardiovascular disease in young adults.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 101.6 (2015): 1144-1154.
© 2015 American Society for Nutrition
Posted June 29, 2015.
References:
- Guyenet S. By 2606, the US Diet will be 100 Percent Sugar. Whole Health Source website posted February 18, 2012
- Yang Q, Zhang Z, Gregg EW, Flanders WD, Merritt R, Hu FB. Added sugar intake and cardiovascular diseases mortality among US adults. JAMA Intern Med 2014;174:516–24
- Ervin RB, Ogden CL. Consumption of added sugars among U.S. adults, 2005–2010. NCHS Data Brief 2013;(122):1–8.
- Ervin RB, Kit BK, Carroll MD, Ogden CL. Consumption of added sugar among U.S. children and adolescents, 2005–2008. NCHS Data Brief 2012;(87):1–8
- Bravo S, Lowndes J, Sinnett S, Yu Z, Rippe J. Consumption of sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup does not increase liver fat or ectopic fat deposition in muscles. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 2013;38:681–8
- Stanhope KL. A dose-response study of consuming high-fructose corn syrup–sweetened beverages on lipid/lipoprotein risk factors for cardiovascular disease in young adults. Am J Clin Nutr 2015 Jun;101(6):1144-54
