People with a ‘sweet tooth’ have a significantly higher risk of developing depression, diabetes, and vascular issues than those who prefer healthier foods. The corresponding study was published in the Journal of Translational Medicine.
Diet and nutrition play a fundamental role in human health. In the current study, researchers assessed the link between food preference profiles and blood-based proteins and metabolites that can indicate risk for multiple health conditions.
For the study, the researchers analyzed health data from over 180,000 participants from the UK Biobank, including food preference questionnaire responses, 168 blood-based metabolites, and 2923 blood-based proteins.
Participants were split into three categories: the putative health-conscious group (those with a low preference for animal-based or sweet foods and high preference for vegetables and fruits), the omnivore group (having a high preference for all foods), and the putative sweet-tooth group, which had a high preference for sweet foods and sweetened beverages.
Ultimately, the researchers found that the ‘sweet tooth’ group had a 31% higher risk of depression. They also had a higher risk of diabetes and vascular heart conditions such as stroke compared to the other groups, as evidenced by higher levels of glucose in their blood and poor blood lipid profiles. The sweet tooth group also had higher levels of C reactive protein, which is a marker of inflammation.
Meanwhile, the health-conscious group had lower risks for heart failure, chronic kidney diseases, and stroke. The omnivore group had moderate health risks.
“The foods that you like or dislike seem to directly link to your health. If your favorite foods are cakes, sweets, and sugary drinks, then our study’s results suggest that this may have negative effects on your health,” said senior author of the study, Professor Nophar Geifman, Professor of Health and Biomedical Informatics at the University of Surrey, in a press release.
“Processed sugar is a key factor in the diet of many, and these results are yet more evidence that, as a society, we should do all that we can to think before we eat, stressing that no one wants to tell people what to do, our job is just informing people,” he added.
Sources: Neuroscience News, Journal of Translational Medicine
