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“High sugar consumption linked to chronic disease”
Thursday, August 28, 2003

By Health Newswire reporters

International research appears to confirm that high consumption of added sugars – such as white table sugar and fizzy drinks – contributes significantly to the incidence of dental caries and obesity.

The study findings, which are published by the World Health Organization (WHO), cover both rural and urban populations in South Africa, and add to the growing body of global evidence on the influence of diet on chronic disease.

The research – carried out by the country’s Medical Research Council and the University of the Western Cape – examined the effect of added sugars on a population experiencing both under-nutrition and over-nutrition. It was compiled as part of an effort by the South African health department to advise on sugar consumption in dietary guidelines.

The study indicated that among adolescents and adults, the percentage consumption of added sugars is over twice as high in urban populations as it is in rural ones – 12.3 per cent compared to 5.9 per cent of total energy intake.

The review also compared sugar consumption in malnourished populations of children to that of well-nourished populations. And found that in many cases sugar displaces protein consumption and significantly dilutes iron, zinc and thiamine intake. This suggests that the diets of undernourished children would not be improved by the addition of sugar-rich foods, the researchers said.

Based on the findings, the researchers recommend that added sugars should form no more than 6-10 per cent of total dietary intake.

They suggest that increasing problems with dental caries and obesity alone justify the new guideline. It reports that total tooth loss in adult populations in South Africa reaches up to 35 per cent, while obesity affects nearly 20 per cent of adults and 30 per cent of black women.

Dr Pekka Puska, director of non-communicable disease prevention and health promotion at WHO, commented, “This paper gives an important perspective on the influence of sugar on diet and nutrition in the developing world, in a country where both under-nutrition and over-nutrition co-exist.

“This information strengthens the ability of the public health community to respond to the epidemic of diet-related chronic disease.”

Source: Bulletin of the World Health Organization

© HMG Worldwide 2003