Summary: A new study has found that people with a preference for sweet foods face higher risks of depression, diabetes, and vascular issues like stroke. Using data from the UK Biobank, researchers grouped participants into three categories: health-conscious, omnivores, and sweet tooth.
They found that the sweet tooth group had poorer blood markers for inflammation and glucose levels, indicating higher risks for metabolic and mental health conditions. Conversely, the health-conscious group showed lower risks for heart disease and stroke.
These findings emphasize the impact of food preferences on long-term health. The study highlights the importance of moderating sugar intake for improved health outcomes.
Key Facts
- Sweet tooth group has a 31% higher risk of depression than other groups.
- Higher inflammation markers, glucose, and lipid profiles were found in the sweet tooth group.
- Health-conscious individuals showed reduced risks of heart disease and stroke.
Source: University of Surrey
People with a preference for sweets are at a higher risk of developing depression, diabetes, and suffering a stroke, according to new research from the University of Surrey.
The study, published in the Journal of Translational Medicine, took anonymised information on the food preferences of 180,000 volunteers within the UK Biobank and used artificial intelligence to group them into three general profiles:
- Health-conscious: prefer fruits and vegetables over animal-based and sweet foods.
- Omnivore: Likes most foods, including meats, fish, and some vegetables, as well as sweets and desserts.
- Sweet tooth: Prefer sweet foods and sugary drinks and is less interested in healthier options like fruit and vegetables.
The Surrey team looked at UK Biobank data on blood samples where 2,923 proteins and 168 metabolites had been measured to see how these levels changed in each group.
Proteins are the workhorses of the body and do everything from fighting infections to muscle contractions and thinking. Metabolites are small molecules produced during digestion and other chemical processes in the body, and they can tell us a lot about how well our body is functioning.
By comparing these blood-based proteins and metabolites, the researchers could get a clearer picture of the biological differences between the groups.
Professor Nophar Geifman, senior author of the study and Professor of Health and Biomedical Informatics at the University of Surrey, said:
“The foods that you like or dislike seem to directly link to your health. If your favourite foods are cakes, sweets, and sugary drinks, then our study’s results suggest that this may have negative effects on your health.
“We found that the sweet tooth group are 31% more likely to have depression. We also found that the sweet tooth group had higher rates of diabetes, as well as vascular heart conditions, compared to the other two groups.
“Importantly, by using data-driven Artificial Intelligence methods, we were able to identify groups of people defined by their food preferences, and these groups are meaningful in that they are linked to health outcomes as well as biological markers.
“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.”
The researchers also looked at differences between the three groups in standard blood biochemistry tests.
Professor Geifman continues:
“In the sweet tooth group, they had higher levels of C reactive protein, which is a marker for inflammation. Their blood results also show higher levels of glucose and poor lipid profiles, which is a strong warning sign for diabetes and heart disease.”
Conversely, the health-conscious group, which also had higher dietary fibre intake, had lower risks for heart failure, chronic kidney diseases and stroke, while the omnivore group had moderate health risks.
According to the British Nutrition Foundation, on average, in the UK, between 9% to 12.5% of an individual’s calories come from free sugar – this is defined as sugar that is added to food or drink. Biscuits, buns, cakes, pastries and fruit pies are the biggest single contributors for adults, but together, sugary soft drinks and alcoholic drinks contribute the most to free sugar intake.
About this diet and mental health research news
Author: Dalitso Njolinjo
Source: University of Surrey
Contact: Dalitso Njolinjo – University of Surrey
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“Artificial intelligence driven definition of food preference endotypes in UK Biobank volunteers is associated with distinctive health outcomes and blood based metabolomic and proteomic profiles” by Nophar Geifman et al. Journal of Translational Medicine
Abstract
Artificial intelligence driven definition of food preference endotypes in UK Biobank volunteers is associated with distinctive health outcomes and blood based metabolomic and proteomic profiles
Background
Specific food preferences can determine an individual’s dietary patterns and therefore, may be associated with certain health risks and benefits.
Methods
Using food preference questionnaire (FPQ) data from a subset comprising over 180,000 UK Biobank participants, we employed Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) approach to identify the main patterns or profiles among participants. blood biochemistry across groups/profiles was compared using the non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis test.
We applied the Limma algorithm for differential abundance analysis on 168 metabolites and 2923 proteins, and utilized the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) to identify enriched biological processes and pathways. Relative risks (RR) were calculated for chronic diseases and mental conditions per group, adjusting for sociodemographic factors.
Results
Based on their food preferences, three profiles were termed: the putative Health-conscious group (low preference for animal-based or sweet foods, and high preference for vegetables and fruits), the Omnivore group (high preference for all foods), and the putative Sweet-tooth group (high preference for sweet foods and sweetened beverages).
The Health-conscious group exhibited lower risk of heart failure (RR = 0.86, 95%CI 0.79–0.93) and chronic kidney disease (RR = 0.69, 95%CI 0.65–0.74) compared to the two other groups.
The Sweet-tooth group had greater risk of depression (RR = 1.27, 95%CI 1.21–1.34), diabetes (RR = 1.15, 95%CI 1.01–1.31), and stroke (RR = 1.22, 95%CI 1.15–1.31) compared to the other two groups.
Cancer (overall) relative risk showed little difference across the Health-conscious, Omnivore, and Sweet-tooth groups with RR of 0.98 (95%CI 0.96–1.01), 1.00 (95%CI 0.98–1.03), and 1.01 (95%CI 0.98–1.04), respectively. The Health-conscious group was associated with lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers (e.g., C-reactive Protein) which are also known to be elevated in those with common metabolic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease).
Other markers modulated in the Health-conscious group, ketone bodies, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein (IGFBP), and Growth Hormone 1 were more abundant, while leptin was less abundant. Further, the IGFBP pathway, which influences IGF1 activity, may be significantly enhanced by dietary choices.
Conclusions
These observations align with previous findings from studies focusing on weight loss interventions, which include a reduction in leptin levels. Overall, the Health-conscious group, with preference to healthier food options, has better health outcomes, compared to Sweet-tooth and Omnivore groups.
