The Impact of Free Sugar on Human Health—A Narrative Review

Gillespie, Kerri; Kemps, Eva; White, Melanie J.; Bartlett, Selena E.

doi:10.3390/nu15040889

Cited by 38 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 231 publications

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“…In the Hungarian population, the ratio of hypertension is the highest in Europe [ 40 ]. The guidelines suggest that the free sugar content of food should not exceed 5% of daily calories [ 41 ]. Although the amount of added sugar was not calculated, the Hungarian diet is rich in sweetened foods, and pastry, pasta consumption.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional Habits of Hungarian Older Adults

Soós,

Bakó,

Gyebrovszki

et al. 2024

Nutrients

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There are many nutritional changes that come with aging, mostly as consequences of health regression. Malnutrition and overweight often start with inadequate food consumption, followed by alterations in biochemical indices and body composition. In our study, we aimed to analyze the feeding habits and energy and nutrient intake of a Hungarian elderly population, focusing on macronutrient, water, fruit, and vegetable consumption while searching for possible nutritional factors leading to NCD and many other chronic diseases in this population. Two questionnaires were used. These were the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and one asking about nutritional habits, and a 3-day feeding diary was also filled. Subjects (n = 179, 111; females (F), 68 males (M), older than 50 years were recruited. Based on MNA results, 78 adults (43.57% of the studied population) were malnourished or at risk of malnutrition, although, according to BMI categories, 69% were overweight and 7.3% were obese among M, while 42.3% were overweight among F. The average daily meal number was diverse. The amount of people consuming fruit (11.7%) and vegetables (8.93%) several times a day was extremely low (15.3% of F and 4.4% of M). Daily fruit consumption in the whole sample was 79.3%. Overall, 36.3% consumed 1 L of liquid and 0.5 L of consumption was found in 15.1% of participants. A significant gender difference was found in water consumption, with F drinking more than M (p ≤ 0.01). In our sample, 27.93% of the respondents took dietary supplements. Further analysis and research are needed to explore the specific health implications of and reasons behind these findings.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional Habits of Hungarian Older Adults

Soós,

Bakó,

Gyebrovszki

et al. 2024

Nutrients

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“…That is, the NOVA system, according to critics, is merely capturing sugar intake, excess saturated and omega-6 polyunsaturated fat intake, and overall unhealthy dietary patterns. Excess dietary sugar, for example, has emerged as a stand-alone risk factor for multiple non-communicable diseases [120][121][122] and has been linked to depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders [123][124][125]. Of critical importance is the emerging research demonstrating that dietary choices can have transgenerational influences on behavior, mental health, and even aspects of personality; for example, maternal and early childhood dietary patterns that are healthy and sustainable predict benevolence, conscientiousness, and imagination (and lower neuroticism) at age eight [126].…”

Section: Sugar and Fatmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond Plants: The Ultra-Processing of Global Diets Is Harming the Health of People, Places, and Planet

Prescott

D’Adamo

Holton

et al. 2023

IJERPH

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Global food systems are a central issue for personal and planetary health in the Anthropocene. One aspect of major concern is the dramatic global spread of ultra-processed convenience foods in the last 75 years, which is linked with the rising human burden of disease and growing sustainability and environmental health challenges. However, there are also calls to radically transform global food systems, from animal to plant-derived protein sources, which may have unintended consequences. Commercial entities have moved toward this “great plant transition” with vigor. Whether motivated by profit or genuine environmental concern, this effort has facilitated the emergence of novel ultra-processed “plant-based” commercial products devoid of nutrients and fiber, and sometimes inclusive of high sugar, industrial fats, and synthetic additives. These and other ingredients combined into “plant-based” foods are often assumed to be healthy and lower in calorie content. However, the available evidence indicates that many of these products can potentially compromise health at all scales—of people, places, and planet. In this viewpoint, we summarize and reflect on the evidence and discussions presented at the Nova Network planetary health meeting on the “Future of Food”, which had a particular focus on the encroachment of ultra-processed foods into the global food supply, including the plant-sourced animal protein alternatives (and the collective of ingredients therein) that are finding their way into global fast-food chains. We contend that while there has been much uncritical media attention given to the environmental impact of protein and macronutrient sources—meat vs. novel soy/pea protein burgers, etc.—the impact of the heavy industrial processing on both human and environmental health is significant but often overlooked, including effects on cognition and mental health. This calls for a more nuanced discourse that considers these complexities and refocuses priorities and value systems towards mutualistic solutions, with co-benefits for individuals, local communities, and global ecology.

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“…The critical role of carbohydrates in the human diet has been extensively reported. , However, while it is generally accepted that carbohydrates are an integral part of a healthy diet, the types and amounts consumed are a source of considerable disagreement among nutritional and medical practitioners . In particular, the role of free sugars, including added sugars, comprising mono-, di-, and oligo-saccharides, is an area of active debate . Numerous studies have implicated diets high in free glucose, fructose, and other rapidly digested low molecular weight carbohydrates as being associated with increases in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, but this belies the full scope of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and oligosaccharides found in food that comprise alcohol soluble carbohydrates (ASCs). , A growing body of work has highlighted the importance of indigestible oligosaccharides, part of “low molecular weight soluble fiber”, for human health .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combined Alcohol Soluble Carbohydrate Determination (CASCADE) of Food

Ehlers Cheang,

Jiang,

Suarez

et al. 2024

ACS Food Sci. Technol.

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Alcohol soluble carbohydrates (ASCs) comprise one of the most abundant classes of dietary carbohydrates. While it is generally accepted that carbohydrates form a healthy part of the diet, the types and amounts consumed are a source of disagreement among practitioners. In particular, the role of ASCs, commonly referred to as free sugars, and comprising a range of mono-, di-, and oligosaccharides, is an active area of debate. These arguments likely arise from a dearth of chemical structures. Studies have implicated diets high in free glucose, fructose, and other rapidly digested ASCs as being associated with increases in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, but this belies the full scope of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and oligosaccharides found in food. A growing body of evidence has highlighted the role of indigestible oligosaccharides that are part of "low molecular weight soluble fiber" in promoting human health through gut microbiome-mediated mechanisms. Despite their ubiquitous presence in food and relevance to health, there is a lack of comprehensive, rapid-throughput analytical tools for the absolute quantitation of ASCs. To address this critical gap, we propose a rapid-throughput, highly expandable platform for native Combined Alcohol Soluble CArbohydrate DEtermination (CASCADE) in food. To highlight the robustness of the method across complex matrices, CASCADE analysis was applied to commonly consumed foods including fermented and functionalized foods. The expandability of the platform was demonstrated by the inclusion of sugar alcohols in the analyte panel which are both naturally occurring and added to foods. Overall, we envision CASCADE as a useful tool for the nascent field of precision nutrition, which will necessitate detailed structures of foods.

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The Impact of Free Sugar on Human Health—A Narrative Review

Cited by 38 publications

References 231 publications

Nutritional Habits of Hungarian Older Adults

Nutritional Habits of Hungarian Older Adults

Beyond Plants: The Ultra-Processing of Global Diets Is Harming the Health of People, Places, and Planet

Combined Alcohol Soluble Carbohydrate Determination (CASCADE) of Food

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