Occasional sweets may lower heart disease risk, study finds
Swedish scientists have discovered that completely eliminating sweets from the diet may not benefit cardiovascular health. Their research suggests that occasional consumption of sugary snacks may reduce the risk of heart disease.
Sweets are usually associated with unhealthy eating habits that can contribute to weight issues, diabetes, or heart disease. However, scientific studies are beginning to indicate that moderate consumption of sweets, especially those with appropriate ingredients, can positively affect heart health. How is this possible?
As TVN24 highlights, a team of researchers from Lund University analysed data from two large population studies: the Swedish Mammography Cohort and the Cohort of Swedish Men, covering a total of 69,705 individuals.
In 1997 and 2009, participants filled out dietary questionnaires, which allowed tracking of their eating habits over time.
The researchers focused on three types of high-sugar products: additives (such as honey), sweet snacks (such as biscuits), and sweetened beverages (e.g., fizzy drinks). They analysed their impact on the occurrence of seven cardiovascular diseases, including two types of strokes, heart attack, heart failure, abdominal aortic aneurysm, atrial fibrillation, and aortic stenosis.
By 2019, cardiovascular diseases were diagnosed in 25,739 participants. The results showed that consuming sweetened beverages significantly increases the risk of ischemic stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and abdominal aortic aneurysm.
According to Suzanne Janzi, a PhD candidate at Lund University and author of an article in Frontiers in Public Health, liquid sugars, such as those in sweetened drinks, tend to be less satisfying than solid forms, which can contribute to increased consumption.
Is occasional sweet eating beneficial for the heart? The results speak plainly
The most interesting finding was that people who completely avoided sweet snacks had a higher risk of negative health effects than those who consumed them occasionally. Janzi suggested that this may result from a very restrictive diet or existing health problems among those individuals.
Janzi highlighted that while the observational nature of the study does not confirm a direct cause-and-effect relationship, the findings indicate that extremely low sugar intake might neither be essential nor advantageous for cardiovascular health.
