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Free Sugars and Human Health
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Free Sugars and Human Health

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Carbohydrates".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 January 2023) | Viewed by 33001

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Selena E. Bartlett

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Health, School of Clinical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
Interests: free sugars; pharmacology; obesity; clinical sciences; neuroscience; inflammation; genomics; brain imaging; pharmaceutical sciences

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food is fundamental for health, but poor nutrition is estimated to cause an annual 11 million deaths and the loss of 255 million disability-adjusted life years globally. The emergence of the Western diet (WD), characterized by its high sugar and high fat content, is tightly correlated with an increase in chronic and neurological diseases, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cognitive impairments. Neural systems that evolved to drive foraging and feeding behaviors in hunter-gatherers now operate in a society of overabundance. Sugar consumption elicits signs of addiction, with binging, withdrawal, depressive-like behaviors, increased reward seeking, and higher resilience to foot shock punishments than methamphetamines. Mice chronically consuming sugar have repeatedly displayed significant neurological dysfunction and deterioration. The economic costs associated with the WD are difficult to quantify. Annual costs from obesity-related illnesses alone exceed USD 56.6 billion.

Neuroscience has fundamentally re-shaped our understanding of how food impacts the health of the brain. It is now known that overconsumption of free sugars and processed foods is addictive and contributes to many chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and mental health disorders.

The aim of this Special Issue is to examine the long-term effects of overconsumption of free sugars and processed foods on physical, neurological, and mental health to develop and inform research-based public health policy and encourage further research into the mechanisms of, and possible tools against, sugar-related disease and impairment. We invite original research articles and review articles spanning basic science and clinical science, human studies, and public policy.

Prof. Dr. Selena E. Bartlett
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • free sugar
  • fructose
  • addiction
  • neuroscience
  • neuroplasticity
  • neuroimaging
  • cognition
  • executive function
  • liking and wanting
  • type 2 diabetes
  • mental health disorders including depression and anxiety
  • chronic diseases
  • obesity
  • cardiovascular diseases
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • sugar tax
  • public policy
  • dietary guidelines and conflicts of interest

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 831 KiB  
Article
Real-World Intake of Dietary Sugars Is Associated with Reduced Cortisol Reactivity Following an Acute Physiological Stressor
by Nicola Di Polito, Anthea A. Stylianakis, Rick Richardson and Kathryn D. Baker
Nutrients 2023, 15(1), 209; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15010209 - 1 Jan 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4730
Abstract
There is increasing academic and clinical interest in understanding the nature of the relation between diet and response to stress exposure as a risk factor for mental illness. Cross-species evidence shows that conditions of chronic and acute stress increase the intake of, and [...] Read more.
There is increasing academic and clinical interest in understanding the nature of the relation between diet and response to stress exposure as a risk factor for mental illness. Cross-species evidence shows that conditions of chronic and acute stress increase the intake of, and preference for, caloric-dense palatable foods, a phenomenon thought to be explained by the mitigating effects of comfort foods on the activity of the stress-response network. It is largely unknown whether and how real-world dietary intake of saturated fat and sugars impacts stress responsivity in humans. Therefore, here we examined whether real-world dietary intake of saturated fat and sugars predicted salivary cortisol reactivity following an acute physiological stressor. Multilevel modelling of four salivary cortisol measures collected up to 65 min after the stressor on 54 participants (18–49 years old) were analyzed using a quadratic growth curve model. Sugar intake significantly predicted a weaker cortisol response following the Cold Pressor Test (CPT) controlling for BMI and gender, revealing an inhibitory effect of caloric-dense diets on cortisol reactivity to stress. As the consumption of sugar rose individuals had lower post-stressor cortisol levels, a smaller rate of increase in cortisol 20 and 35 min after the CPT, a lower cortisol peak, and an overall weaker quadratic effect. These observations add to a growing body of evidence reporting suppressive effects of high-energy foods on stress-associated glucocorticoids reactivity and are consistent with the comfort food hypothesis, where people are seen as motivated to eat palatable foods to alleviate the detrimental repercussions of stressor exposure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Free Sugars and Human Health)
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10 pages, 304 KiB  
Article
The Association between Maternal Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption and Infant/Toddler Added Sugar Intakes
by Adrianne K. Griebel-Thompson, Abigail Murray, Katherine S. Morris, Rocco A. Paluch, Lisette Jacobson and Kai Ling Kong
Nutrients 2022, 14(20), 4359; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14204359 - 18 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1915
Abstract
Intake of added sugars during early life is associated with poor health outcomes. Maternal dietary intake influences the intake of their children, but little research investigates the relationship between maternal sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) and infant/toddler added sugar intakes. Our objective was to [...] Read more.
Intake of added sugars during early life is associated with poor health outcomes. Maternal dietary intake influences the intake of their children, but little research investigates the relationship between maternal sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) and infant/toddler added sugar intakes. Our objective was to explore the relationship between maternal total sugars and SSB intakes and infant/toddler added sugar intakes. This cross-sectional study (n = 101) of mother-infant dyads measured maternal dietary intake by food frequency questionnaire and infant intake by three 24-h dietary recalls. Pearson’s correlations explored the relations between maternal total sugars and SSB intakes and infant added sugar intakes. Hierarchical stepwise regressions determined if maternal total sugars and SSB intakes explained the variation in infant added sugar intakes after accounting for known risk factors for early introduction of added sugars. Maternal total sugars (r = 0.202, p = 0.043) and SSB (r = 0.352, p < 0.001) intakes were positively correlated with infant/toddler added sugar intakes. In the hierarchical models, maternal total sugar intakes did not account for more variance in infant added sugar intakes (β = 0.046, p = 0.060), but maternal SSB intake was a significant contributor of infant added sugar intakes (β = 0.010, p = 0.006) after accounting for confounders. Interventions to reduced maternal SSB consumption may help reduce infant/toddler added sugar intakes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Free Sugars and Human Health)
11 pages, 940 KiB  
Article
Do Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Increase Fasting FGF21 Irrespective of the Type of Added Sugar? A Secondary Exploratory Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial
by Bettina Geidl-Flueck, Michel Hochuli, Giatgen A. Spinas and Philipp A. Gerber
Nutrients 2022, 14(19), 4169; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14194169 - 7 Oct 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1959
Abstract
Human fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a multifaceted metabolic regulator considered to control sugar intake and to exert beneficial effects on glucose and lipid metabolism. Elevated serum FGF21 levels are associated with metabolic syndrome, suggesting a state of FGF21 resistance. Further, given [...] Read more.
Human fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a multifaceted metabolic regulator considered to control sugar intake and to exert beneficial effects on glucose and lipid metabolism. Elevated serum FGF21 levels are associated with metabolic syndrome, suggesting a state of FGF21 resistance. Further, given the evidence of a hepatic ChREBP and FGF21 signaling axis, it can be assumed that SSBs containing fructose would possibly increase FGF21 concentrations. We investigated the effects of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption on fasting FGF21 levels in healthy, lean men, discriminating the effects of glucose, fructose, and their disaccharide sucrose by secondary data analysis from a randomized controlled trial. Seven weeks of daily SSB consumption resulted in increased fasting FGF21 in healthy, lean men, irrespective of the sugar type. Medians of ΔFGF21 between post-SSB intervention values (week 7) and no-intervention period values (IQR) in pg/mL were: glucose 17.4 (0.4–45.8), fructose 22.9 (−8.6–35.1), and sucrose 13.7 (2.2–46.1). In contrast, this change in FGF21 concentration was only 6.3 (−20.1–26.9) pg/mL in the control group. The lack of a fructose-specific effect on FGF21 concentrations is contrary to our assumption. It is concluded that SSB intake may impact FGF21 concentrations and could contribute to the increased FGF21 concentrations observed in subjects suffering from metabolic syndrome that is possibly associated with decreased FGF21 responsiveness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Free Sugars and Human Health)
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25 pages, 477 KiB  
Commentary
The Impact of Free Sugar on Human Health—A Narrative Review
by Kerri M. Gillespie, Eva Kemps, Melanie J. White and Selena E. Bartlett
Nutrients 2023, 15(4), 889; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15040889 - 10 Feb 2023
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 18406
Abstract
The importance of nutrition in human health has been understood for over a century. However, debate is ongoing regarding the role of added and free sugars in physiological and neurological health. In this narrative review, we have addressed several key issues around this [...] Read more.
The importance of nutrition in human health has been understood for over a century. However, debate is ongoing regarding the role of added and free sugars in physiological and neurological health. In this narrative review, we have addressed several key issues around this debate and the major health conditions previously associated with sugar. We aim to determine the current evidence regarding the role of free sugars in human health, specifically obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cognition, and mood. We also present some predominant theories on mechanisms of action. The findings suggest a negative effect of excessive added sugar consumption on human health and wellbeing. Specific class and source of carbohydrate appears to greatly influence the impact of these macronutrients on health. Further research into individual effects of carbohydrate forms in diverse populations is needed to understand the complex relationship between sugar and health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Free Sugars and Human Health)
15 pages, 1041 KiB  
Systematic Review
Association between Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption and the Risk of the Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Ainara Muñoz-Cabrejas, Pilar Guallar-Castillón, Martín Laclaustra, Helena Sandoval-Insausti and Belén Moreno-Franco
Nutrients 2023, 15(2), 430; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15020430 - 13 Jan 2023
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5263
Abstract
(1) Background: The increasing occurrence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) is largely related to harmful food habits. Among them, the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is noteworthy. However, to our knowledge, there are not enough high-quality methodological studies summarizing the association between the [...] Read more.
(1) Background: The increasing occurrence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) is largely related to harmful food habits. Among them, the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is noteworthy. However, to our knowledge, there are not enough high-quality methodological studies summarizing the association between the intake of SSBs and the MetS. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the existing published results on this association among adults by synthesizing the existing evidence. (2) Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies following the PRISMA guidelines. Relevant information was extracted and presented following the PRISMA recommendations. PubMed and SCOPUS databases were searched for studies published until June 2022 that assessed the association between SSB consumption (including soft drinks, bottled fruit juices, energy drinks, and milkshakes) and the occurrence of MetS. Random effect models were used to estimate pooled odds ratios (ORs) with their 95% coefficient interval, and I2 was used to assess heterogeneity. (3) Results: A total of 14 publications from 6 different countries were included in this meta-analysis (9 cross-sectional and 5 cohort studies). For the cross-sectional studies, which included 62,693 adults, the pooled OR for the risk of MetS was 1.35 (95% CI 1.15, 1.58; I2 57%) when the highest versus the lowest categories of SSB consumption were compared. For the cohort studies, which included 28,932 adults, the pooled OR was 1.18 (95% CI 1.06, 1.32; I2 70%). (4) Conclusions: The consumption of SSBs was positively associated with an increased risk of MetS. The published literature supports public health strategies and the need to reduce the consumption of SSBs to prevent MetS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Free Sugars and Human Health)
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