A new study associates increased intake of added sugars, commonly found in processed foods, with an increased risk of kidney stones. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the study found that participants with the highest intake of added sugars were 39% more likely to develop kidney stones.
Researchers are the first to demonstrate a link between increased intake of added sugars and an increased risk of kidney stones.
Kidney stones affect 7% to 15% of the population in North America, compared to 5% to 9% in Europe and 1% to 5% in Asia. The formation of these painful minerals in the kidneys can cause severe discomfort, with symptoms such as severe pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills and blood in the urine. However, the problems associated with kidney stones extend beyond a reduced quality of life. Over time, it can lead to infections, swelling of the kidneys known as hydronephrosis, renal failure, and even end-stage renal disease.
Certain risk groups are more likely to develop kidney stones, including adult men, obese people, those suffering from chronic diarrhea, dehydration, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, and gout.
Well, research in The frontier of nutrition showed for the first time that increased intake of added sugars should probably be added to the list of risk factors for kidney stones. Added sugars can be found in many processed foods, but they are most commonly found in sugary sodas, fruit drinks, candies, ice cream, cakes, and cookies.
“Our study is the first to report an association between increased sugar intake and kidney stones,” said lead author Dr. Xiang Yin, a researcher at North Sichuan Medical University Hospital in Nanchong, China. “This suggests that limiting intake of added sugar may help prevent kidney stone formation.”
National Health and Nutrition Survey
In et al. We analyzed epidemiological data on 28,303 adult women and men collected from 2007 to 2018 within the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Participants self-reported whether they had a history of kidney stones. Her daily added sugar intake for each participant was estimated from two recent recalls of food and drink intake. One was a face-to-face interview and another was a phone interview with her 3-10 days later. For example, participants were asked if they had eaten syrup, honey, glucose, fructose, or pure sugar in the past 24 hours.
Each participant also received a Healthy Eating Index score (HEI-2015). It summarizes our diet in terms of adequacy of beneficial dietary components such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and moderation of potentially harmful foods such as refined grains. , sodium, saturated fat.
The researchers adjusted the yearly odds of developing kidney stones for a variety of explanatory factors during the trial. These included gender, age, race or ethnicity, relative income, BMI, HEI-2015 score, smoking status, and whether participants had a history of diabetes.
Participants who had higher intakes of added sugars at the beginning of the study were more likely to have higher prevalence of current kidney stones, lower HEI scores, and lower levels of education. His overall average intake of added sugars was 272.1 calories per day, which represented his 13.2% of his total daily energy intake.
Positive association between added sugars and kidney stones
After adjusting for these factors, the researchers showed that the percentage of energy intake from added sugars was positively correlated with kidney stones. For example, participants among the 25% of the population with the highest intake of added sugars were 39% more likely to develop kidney stones during the study period.
Similarly, participants deriving 25% or more of their total energy from added sugars had 88% higher odds than participants deriving less than 5% of their total energy from added sugars.
The results also suggest that participants of “other” ethnicities (e.g., Native Americans and Asians) received higher-than-average added sugars than Mexican-Americans, other Hispanics, and non-Hispanics. They also showed an increased chance of developing kidney stones if exposed. Whites and non-Hispanic blacks. People with a high poverty income ratio (PIR, or the ratio of income to the federal poverty level) are more likely to develop kidney stones when exposed to more added sugar than people at or slightly above the poverty level. it was high.
Potential confounders
The mechanism of the relationship between increased intake of added sugars and increased risk of developing kidney stones is still unknown. As this was an uncontrolled observational study, we cannot yet exclude the possibility that unknown confounders drive this association.
“Further studies are needed to explore the links between added sugars and various diseases and pathological conditions in detail,” warned Dr. Yin. “For example, what type of kidney stone is most associated with increased sugar intake? How much should we reduce our intake of added sugars to reduce our risk of kidney stone formation? Our findings are already providing valuable insights to decision makers.”
Reference: “Added Sugars and Kidney Stones in US Adults: Data from the 2007-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey,” Shan ying, Zhenzhen Yang, Pingyu Zhu, Zhongbo Du, Xiaodong Yu, Tielong Tang, By Yan Borné, 4 Aug 2023, The frontier of nutrition.
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1226082
This study was funded by the North Sichuan Medical University PhD Fund Project.
