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Heart Health
Sugary drinks may raise levels of unhealthy blood fats
- By Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
Research we're watching
A new study links sugary drinks — the biggest source of added sugar in the American diet — to higher levels of LDL cholesterol and other unhealthy fats in the bloodstream.
Published in the November 2022 issue of The Journal of Nutrition, the study relied on nutrition and health data from more than 29,000 people involved in two long-running studies. Researchers focused on the participants’ intake of regular sodas, lemonade, fruit drinks, and other sugar-sweetened beverages. Higher intakes (more than one 12-ounce serving per day) were linked to increased levels of unhealthy blood fats (lipids), including LDL (bad) cholesterol, triglycerides, and other lipids associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
Although the results don’t prove that sugary drinks cause blood lipids to rise, they are consistent with earlier research on this topic.
Image: © Peter Dazeley/Getty Images
About the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
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Reducing Sugar in Your Diet
Reducing consumption of added sugar is a good place to start in improving the overall nutritional punch of your diet. This Harvard Medical School Guide will help you gain a deeper understanding of the different formsof sugar, what foods contain significant amounts of added sugar, how sugaris metabolized by the body, and the health risks it poses when consumed to excess. We also offer practical suggestions from Harvard experts on how to reduce your intake.
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