Surely you have ever been immersed in this typical debate between friends or family: “Are you more sweet or salty?” Well, that innocent response, if you are one of those who opt for the former, could hide behind a more negative side effect than you could imagine. And people who have a preference for sweet foods could be at greater risk of developing depression or diabetes and suffering a stroke, according to new research from the University of Surrey whose results have been published in the Journal of Translational Medicine.
The researchers analyzed anonymous information about the food preferences of 180,000 UK Biobank volunteers using artificial intelligence to group them into three general profiles:
- Health conscious: They prefer fruits and vegetables over foods of animal origin and sweets.
- Omnivores: They enjoy most foods, including meats, fish, some vegetables, and also desserts and sweets.
- Sweet lovers: They have a preference for sugary foods and sweetened drinks, and show less interest in healthy options such as fruits and vegetables.
The Surrey team analyzed data from blood samples from the UK Biobank, where 2,923 proteins and 168 metabolites were measured to see how they varied between groups. Proteins are essential in the body, performing functions such as fighting infections and facilitating muscle contraction and thinking. Metabolites are small molecules produced during digestion and other chemical processes in the body, and they provide a lot of information about how our body works. By comparing the proteins and metabolites in the blood, the researchers were able to gain a clearer view of the biological differences between the groups.
The impact of food preferences on health
Nophar Geifman, professor in Biomedical and Health Informatics at the University of Surrey, explained in a statement from her university that “what you prefer to eat seems to have a direct link to your health. If your favorite foods are cakes, sweets and sugary drinks, the results of our study suggest that this could have negative effects on your health. We found that the sweet-loving group is 31% more likely to suffer from depression. “In addition, this group had higher rates of diabetes and vascular heart disease compared to the other two groups.”
“The most relevant thing is that, using data-driven artificial intelligence methods, we were able to identify groups of people based on their food preferences, and these groups are significant because they are linked to both health outcomes and biological markers,” Geifman highlights.
The health-conscious group showed lower risks of heart failure, chronic kidney disease and stroke
“Processed sugar is a key factor in many people’s diets, and these results are further proof that, as a society, we need to do everything we can to be more conscious of what we eat. It is not about telling people what they should do, our objective is simply to inform them,” concludes the expert.
The researchers also analyzed differences between the three groups on standard blood biochemistry tests. In the sweet-loving group, higher levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, were observed. They also showed elevated glucose levels and a poor lipid profile, which is a warning sign for diabetes and heart disease.
On the other hand, the health-conscious group, which also had a higher intake of dietary fiber, showed lower risks of heart failure, chronic kidney disease and stroke, while the omnivorous group had moderate health risks.
According to the British Nutrition Foundation, in the United Kingdom, between 9% and 12.5% of the calories a person eats come from free sugar, which is sugar added to foods or drinks. The main contributors in adults are cookies, cakes, buns and pies, while sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages, together, are the ones that contribute the most to free sugar consumption.
