Plain language summary
Sugary drinks and excess dietary sugars have been related to the development of many non- communicable diseases such as obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Drinks with added sweeteners as a replacement for sugar are often regarded as a healthier alternative, however the exact effect on many non-communicable diseases is unknown. This systematic review and meta-analysis of 17 cohort studies assessed the effect of sugary drinks and artificially sweetened beverages (ASB’s) on the risk of death, T2D, and heart disease. The results showed that the consumption of sugary drinks and ASB’s increased the risk of developing T2D, heart disease and death from any cause. It was concluded that long-term consumption of ASB’s and sugary drinks will have detrimental health effects. Reasons for the increased risk of T2D, heart disease and death by any cause following consumption of ASB’s still remains unclear. However relationships between poor health outcomes and sugary drinks may be due to many different mechanisms such as increased blood sugar levels encouraging obesity and an increase in blood pressure following consumption. Healthcare professionals could use this paper to recommend a diet without ASB’s and sugary drinks to prevent the development of these non-communicable diseases.
Abstract
Although studies have examined the association between habitual consumption of sugar- (SSBs) and artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) and health outcomes, the results are inconclusive. Here, we conducted a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies in order to summarize the relationship between SSBs and ASBs consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and all-cause mortality. All relevant articles were systematically searched in PubMed, Embase, and Ovid databases until 20 June 2020. Thirty-four studies met the inclusion criteria and were eligible for analysis. Summary relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated using random effects or fixed-effects model for highest versus lowest intake categories, as well as for linear and non-linear relationships. With each additional SSB and ASB serving per day, the risk increased by 27% (RR: 1.27, 95%CI: 1.15-1.41, I2 = 80.8%) and 13% (95%CI: 1.03-1.25, I2 = 78.7%) for T2D, 9% (RR: 1.09, 95%CI: 1.07-1.12, I2 = 42.7%) and 8% (RR: 1.08, 95%CI: 1.04-1.11, I2 = 45.5%) for CVDs, and 10% (RR: 1.10, 95%CI: 0.97-1.26, I2 = 86.3%) and 7% (RR: 1.07, 95%CI: 0.91-1.25, I2 = 76.9%) for all-cause mortality. Linear relationships were found for SSBs with T2D and CVDs. Non-linear relationships were found for ASBs with T2D, CVDs, and all-cause mortality and for SSBs with all-cause mortality. The findings from the current meta-analysis indicate that increased consumption of SSBs and ASBs is associated with the risk of T2D, CVDs, and all-cause mortality.
Methodological quality
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