Sugar in excessive quantities is bad for your health. By adding too much to our diet we run the risk of developing diabetes, suffering from obesity and other metabolic disorders, and developing kidney and heart disease. Not all sources of sugar, however, are the same. Even when we talk about added sugars (those not naturally present in foods). A study just published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health reveals a positive association between the consumption of sweets, ice cream and chocolate, and a reduction in cardiovascular risk: a result that should not be read as an absolution for excess sugar, but rather as a possible demonstration that some exceptions to the rule (especially those that are good for the soul and mood) are less harmful than others.
The research was carried out using the results of two large questionnaires that assessed the eating habits of the Swedish population in 1997 and 2009. Thanks to the data collected, researchers from the University of Malmö (in southern Sweden) were able to divide the sugars added consumed by the 69 thousand participants in three types: sweets (such as cakes and pastries, chocolate, ice cream and sweets), toppings (intended as table sugar, honey, jams and marmalades) and sugary drinks.
Therefore, looking at the medical records of the participants kept in the registers of the Swedish healthcare system and dating back to 2019, the authors of the research were able to correlate the consumption of these three sources of sugar with the incidence of cardiovascular disorders. By adjusting the results to take into account the influence of some known cardiovascular risk factors, such as cigarette smoking, several links emerged between the three sources of sugars and specific diseases.
High consumption of sugary toppings, for example, would be related to an increased risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm, an abnormal dilation of this artery. While that of sugary drinks to ischemic stroke, heart attack, atrial fibrillation and again, abdominal aortic aneurysm. In the case of sweets, however, the opposite seems to be true: the incidence of all cardiovascular disorders is higher in subjects who consume the smallest quantities, and is minimal among those who eat the most.
As the researchers themselves point out, the results must be interpreted with extreme caution. The link between sugar and health problems is in fact extremely well documented. And to say that added sugars, in any case, can be good for your health, much more solid data than that provided by this research would be needed. However, the study provides two important insights. The first is that it will probably be important, in the future, to take into consideration in research not only the quantities of total added sugars, but also their source, because it can influence their effects on health in different ways. An example above all is the sugars present in drinks, which do not particularly contribute to making us feel full, and can therefore lead to greater consumption.
The second is that in some cases, not particularly beneficial substances are consumed in social circumstances that – yes – promote well-being and health. In Sweden, where the study was carried out, the culture of “Fika” is deeply rooted, a snack that usually includes coffee and sweets, and which takes place daily in the company of friends, relatives or work colleagues. Consuming sweets in these circumstances can therefore be a symptom of a rich and satisfying relational life. While eating few sweets for a Swede could be a sign of a solitary life, it is a known risk factor for various health problems, including cardiovascular ones.
What is certain, therefore, is that finding time to relax and socialize is good for your health. And if we end up eating one too many pastries to do it, it’s probably not that bad.