The relationship between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and overall diet quality is complex, with research suggesting that frequent SSB drinkers tend to have less healthy dietary patterns. A recent analysis of data from over 2,000 Swiss adults, originally collected between and , reinforces this connection. The study, published in Nutrients, found a significant association between higher SSB intake and lower non-SSB diet quality.
Researchers categorized participants based on their SSB consumption: non-consumers, low consumers, and high consumers. They then assessed the quality of their diets *excluding* SSBs using the AHEI (Alternate Healthy Eating Index), a widely used tool for evaluating dietary patterns. The findings indicated that even among those who limited or avoided SSBs, the overall quality of their non-SSB diets was only moderate, suggesting that simply cutting out sugary drinks isn’t enough to guarantee a healthy eating plan.
This observation aligns with findings from a similar US study focusing on young adults aged to years. While the distribution of SSB consumer types differed slightly between the Swiss and US populations, both studies found a clear link between higher SSB intake and poorer diet quality. The US study, published in , categorized participants based on sugar intake recommendations for the entire diet, rather than solely SSB consumption, a methodology consistent with the Swiss research.
The amount of SSBs consumed also appears to play a role. US adults consume an average of 145 kcal per day from SSBs, approximately 1.5 times higher than the estimated 96 kcal per day consumed by Swiss adults. This difference in overall intake may contribute to the observed variations in consumer type distribution between the two countries.
Interestingly, the impact of SSB consumption on diet quality appears to vary across different regions within Switzerland. In the German-speaking region, non-SSB consumers exhibited significantly higher non-SSB diet quality scores compared to low-SSB consumers. This may be linked to reported differences in fat intake patterns in that region. However, in the French-speaking region, no significant differences were observed across SSB consumer types, potentially due to higher baseline diet quality, including greater vegetable consumption. In the Italian-speaking region, high-SSB consumers surprisingly had higher non-SSB AHEI scores than low-SSB consumers, possibly reflecting adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet, which aligns well with the AHEI components. However, researchers caution that the small sample size in this region limits the reliability of these findings.
Age also appears to be a factor. Younger adults were more likely to be high-SSB consumers than older adults, a trend supported by previous research. This suggests that early adulthood may be a critical period for establishing dietary habits, with high sugar intake potentially contributing to long-term health risks. The study also found that individuals with higher education levels were less likely to be high-SSB consumers, indicating that social determinants may also influence SSB intake.
While the Swiss study represents the first of its kind in a European population, it’s important to note that it was cross-sectional, meaning it cannot establish a cause-and-effect relationship between SSB intake and diet quality. The data were collected several years ago, and dietary habits may have evolved since then. A review of global trends suggests a decrease in SSB consumption in high-income countries between and , and a shift towards reduced- or no-sugar alternatives is occurring in some European countries.
Despite these limitations, the study reinforces the importance of a holistic approach to diet. Researchers suggest that public health interventions aimed at reducing SSB intake could have a twofold benefit: decreasing sugar consumption and improving the overall quality of the non-SSB diet. However, they emphasize that focusing solely on reducing SSB intake may not be sufficient, and efforts should also be directed towards promoting adherence to broader dietary recommendations, such as increased fruit and vegetable consumption.
The AHEI scores observed in the study population were generally relatively low, comparable to those reported in the US, UK, and China. This suggests that, despite variations in local dietary habits, the AHEI remains a useful tool for assessing overall dietary patterns. The study also highlighted that focusing on general dietary improvements, rather than specific recommendations for different SSB consumer types, may be the most effective strategy for enhancing non-SSB diet quality in the population.
Researchers acknowledge potential limitations, including recall bias in self-reported SSB intake and the use of total sugar intake thresholds rather than free sugar content. However, they emphasize the study’s strengths, including its representative sample of the Swiss population, the use of trained dietitians for data collection, and the control for various confounding factors. Further research is needed to investigate the long-term effects of SSB intake on diet quality and to explore the potential benefits of targeted public health interventions.
