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 In adults, substantial evidence ties high sugar intake to increased
triglycerides and decreased good cholesterol. But the link had not
been investigated in a racially diverse sample of U.S. school
children, according to Maria I. Van Rompay of Tufts University in
Boston.
Rompay and colleagues analyzed food frequency questionnaires filled
out by 690 Boston children, ages eight to 15. The questionnaires,
filled out at the start of the study and six and 12 months later,
assessed the kids’ intake of sugar-sweetened beverages like regular
sodas, fruit juices with less than 100 percent fruit, and sweetened
teas.
Only 380 kids provided usable questionnaire responses by month 12.
They also provided blood samples at the start and at the 12-month
point to be measured for high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good”
cholesterol and triglycerides, which can increase the risk of
coronary artery disease.
At the start of the study, about 85 percent of the kids said they
had consumed sugary beverages over the previous week, drinking an
average of almost three servings per week. Almost 20 percent
reported having at least one sugary beverage per day.
Older kids and those from a lower socioeconomic status tended to
drink more sugary beverages. Those who drank more sugary beverages
also tended to consume more total calories, fewer fruits or
vegetables per day, and to spend more time sedentary.
Over time, average sugary beverage consumption was not linked to
changes in HDL or triglycerides. Both HDL and triglyceride levels
increased over the study period for the whole group, on average.
But kids who decreased their sugary beverage intake by at least one
serving per week had greater increases in HDL, the good cholesterol,
compared with those who did not change their intake or increased it.
Changing beverage intake was not tied to triglyceride levels, the
researchers reported in the Journal of Nutrition.
The study was limited by the fact that children's self-reporting of
dietary intake isn't necessarily reliable.
And the study did not include hard endpoints, like stroke or heart
disease.
Studies of adults have linked higher consumption of sugary beverages
with higher risk of high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and
stroke, so reducing consumption in adults may be beneficial, Van
Rompay told Reuters Health by email.
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“In children and adolescents, however, fewer longitudinal studies
have been done, and these studies have investigated relationships
between (sugary beverage) consumption and risk factors for heart
disease and diabetes, including overweight/obesity, dyslipidemia,
and insulin resistance,” she said. “To our knowledge, research
results linking reduced (sugary beverage) consumption to better
endpoints in kids such as stroke or heart attack have not been
reported.”
About 20 percent of youth aged eight to 17 years have a risky blood
lipid concentration, or dyslipidemia, she said.
“Dyslipidemia among children/adolescents is concerning because blood
lipid concentrations from childhood track into adulthood, and having
dyslipidemia as a child or adolescent may be evidence of early
development of heart disease,” Van Rompay said.
Many parents may not know their child has this risk factor, she
said.
“Lower diet quality is a modifiable risk factor for disease, which
means that dietary intake is something parents could help their
children (or adolescent) change for the better,” she said. “Thus, it
seems important for parents to help children minimize, or replace,
(sugary beverages) with more healthful, nutrient-dense beverages, as
well as aim for improved diet quality overall, to help set children
and adolescents on a track for a healthier life overall.”
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1EOSDDo The Journal of Nutrition, online
September 2, 2015.
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