Soda and cell aging: associations between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and leukocyte telomere length in healthy adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional survey analysis
PubMed 25322305 · doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.302151
What was done
Researchers examined cross-sectional associations between beverage intake (sugar-sweetened beverages, diet soda, and fruit juice) and leukocyte telomere length among 5,309 US adults aged 20 to 65 years without diabetes or cardiovascular disease from the 1999 to 2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Leukocyte telomere length was assayed from DNA specimens, and diet was assessed via 24-hour dietary recalls. Multivariate linear regression was used to examine associations with log-transformed telomere length after adjusting for sociodemographic and health characteristics.
What was found
Sugar-sweetened soda consumption was significantly associated with shorter telomeres (b = -0.010; 95% CI = -0.020, -0.001; P = .04). Consumption of 100% fruit juice showed a marginal association with longer telomeres (b = 0.016; 95% CI = -0.000, 0.033; P = .05). No significant associations were observed for diet sodas or noncarbonated sugar-sweetened beverages.
Why it matters
This study provides population-level observational evidence linking regular sugar-sweetened soda consumption with shorter telomeres, highlighting accelerated cell aging as a potential mechanism underlying cardiometabolic risk.
Limits
The study design is cross-sectional, precluding causal inference. Dietary intake was measured using 24-hour recalls, which may not reflect habitual long-term intake and are subject to recall bias. Findings may not generalize to individuals with pre-existing diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
Cited by
- supports Consumption of pro-inflammatory foods such as red meat, processed meat, and sugary drinks is associated with shorter telomeres.