Insights from the Editor

Here's some health news that is sure to horrify parents of sugar-loving kids: Teens who consumed the highest levels of added sugar (mostly from sugary drinks and processed foods) were found to have worse cholesterol and triglyceride levels than those who consumed the least. That's according to a new study published in the Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. The findings could spell heart trouble down the road.
 
"This is the first study to assess the association of added sugars and the indicators of heart disease risk in adolescents," said study author Jean Welsh, MPH, PhD, R.N "The concern is long-term exposure would place them at risk for heart disease later in adulthood."
 
Welsh, a post-doctoral fellow at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and colleagues used data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) of 2,157 teenagers (ages 12 to 18) and found the average daily consumption of added sugars was 119 grams (28.3 tsp or 476 calories), accounting for 21.4 percent of their total energy. (The teens' average daily consumption was roughly four times the American Heart Association's recommended upper limit for added sugars, which is between 100 to 150 calories, depending on energy requirements, age and gender.)
 
Those teens who consumed the highest amounts of added sugar—where added sugar made up 30 percent of the day's calories—had lower good cholesterol (HDL), and higher bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides than those who consumed the least (less than 10 percent of total calories).

The study also found that overweight or obese teens with the highest levels of added sugar intake had increased signs of insulin resistance, often a precursor to diabetes.
 
Welsh said she was surprised to see deteriorating lipid levels in teens, even though experimental studies have shown the same effect in adults. "It is incredible that we did see this in kids."
 
Welsh is not sure what causes lipid levels to deteriorate. One theory, she said, is that when people consume high levels of fructose, which is metabolized by the liver, it is more easily converted into fatty acids which raises triglyceride levels. "If that mechanism is what happens, then it makes sense," she says. "But no one had ever shown it, so we were surprised."
 
She warned that more studies are needed since this was a cross-sectional study— essentially a snapshot in time— and not a longitudinal study. For example, can exercise mitigate the effect? Do lipid levels go back to normal if added sugar is cut? Will the shift in cholesterol levels result in cardiovascular disease in the future?
 
It could be a while before those questions are answered. In the mean time, Welsh, a mother of four, has some suggestions.

"The first thing we as parents can do is to help kids be aware of how much sugar they are consuming, and make them aware that there may be health consequences down the line, like obesity. Educates the kids about this and help them to know how to make better choices; teach them how to read nutritional labels."