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Sugar-sweetened beverages associated with increased visceral fat
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Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has been linked to a higher volume of visceral adipose tissue.
Caroline Fox, M D, MPH, deputy branch chief and senior investigator at the NHLBI, and colleagues utilized CT to measure the quantity and quality of visceral adipose tissue in 1,003 participants (45% women; mean age, 45 years) of the Framingham Heart Study’s Third Generation cohort. The researchers used data from two exams conducted about 6 years apart.
Data on sugar-sweetened beverage and diet soda consumption were collected using a food-frequency questionnaire administered at baseline. Participants were divided into four groups based on sugar-sweetened beverage or diet soda consumption: nonconsumers, occasional consumers (one serving/month to less than one serving/week), frequent consumers (one serving/week or less than one serving/day) and daily consumers (at least one serving/day).
According to the results, visceral adipose tissue volume was increased among participants with higher sugar-sweetened beverage consumption (P for trend < .001). Consumers who drank at least one sugar-sweetened beverage per day had a 27% greater increase in visceral fat over 6 years compared with nonconsumers. Volume of visceral adipose tissue increased by 658 cm3 among nonconsumers, 649 cm3 among occasional consumers, 707 cm3 among frequent consumers and 852 cm3 among daily consumers, after the researchers adjusted for multiple confounders. Increased intake of sugar-sweetened beverages also was associated with greater decline of visceral adipose tissue (P = .007), but when the researchers adjusted for visceral adipose tissue volume change this association was no longer significant.
Fox and colleagues did not observe an association between diet soda intake and visceral adipose tissue.
The researchers acknowledged certain limitations to their study, including estimates of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption or diet soda that were taken only at the beginning of the study and the lack of inclusion of sports drinks, energy drinks and sweetened teas in the food-frequency questionnaire.
“There is evidence linking sugar-sweetened beverages with [CVD] and type 2 diabetes,” Fox said in a press release. “Our message to consumers is to follow the current dietary guidelines and to be mindful of how much sugar-sweetened beverages they drink. To policymakers, this study adds another piece of evidence to the growing body of research suggesting sugar-sweetened beverages may be harmful to our health.” – by Tracey Romero
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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