Dyslipidemia is characterized by undesirable levels of triglycerides, LDL and HDL cholesterol, as well as atherogenic patterns of lipoprotein particle sizes.  Observational studies suggest consumption of sugar sweetened beverages is associated with dyslipidemia, yet little is known about the association of sugar sweetened beverages and plasma lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein, and lipoprotein particles size concentrations.  A study by Haslam and colleagues explored these relationships and a paper describing their results is published in the November 2022 issue of The Journal of Nutrition.

Data for this study was derived from the Framingham Offspring Study and the Women’s Health Study.  Lipoprotein particle sizes were determined using nuclear magnetic resonance signals for lipoprotein particle subclass concentrations and sugar sweetened beverage consumption was estimated from food frequency questionnaires.  Confounding factors in the models included lifestyle, diet, and traditional lipoprotein risk factors.

Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages was positively associated with LDL cholesterol, apoB, triglycerides, remnant lipoprotein particles, and non-HDL cholesterol concentrations, but negatively associated with HDL cholesterol and apoA1 concentrations.  Consumers of sugar sweetened beverages had smaller LDL particle and HDL particle sizes, lower concentrations of large LDL particles and medium HDL particles, and higher concentrations of small LDL particles, small HDL particles, and large triglyceride-rich lipoprotein particles.  These observations led the authors to conclude that consumption of higher amounts of sugar sweetened beverages was associated with dyslipidemia, which is linked to cardiometabolic risk in adults.

References

Danielle E Haslam, Daniel I Chasman, Gina M Peloso, Mark A Herman, Josée Dupuis, Alice H Lichtenstein, Caren E Smith, Paul M Ridker, Paul F Jacques, Samia Mora, Nicola M McKeown, Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption and Plasma Lipoprotein Cholesterol, Apolipoprotein, and Lipoprotein Particle Size Concentrations in US Adults, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 152, Issue 11, November 2022, Pages 2534–2545, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxac166.

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Nancy Turner, PhD

Nancy Turner is a Professor of Nutrition at Michigan State University.  Her research focus is on the role of diet on colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.  She is the author of many papers on this topic, as well as the co-editor of a book, and co-author of a textbook.