Sugary drinks may raise levels of unhealthy blood fats

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A new study links sugary drinks — the biggest source of added sugar in the American diet — to higher levels of LDL cholesterol and other unhealthy fats in the bloodstream.

Published in the November 2022 issue of The Journal of Nutrition, the study relied on nutrition and health data from more than 29,000 people involved in two long-running studies. Researchers focused on the participants' intake of regular sodas, lemonade, fruit drinks, and other sugar-sweetened beverages. Higher intakes (more than one 12-ounce serving per day) were linked to increased levels of unhealthy blood fats (lipids), including LDL (bad) cholesterol, triglycerides, and other lipids associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Although the results don't prove that sugary drinks cause blood lipids to rise, they are consistent with earlier research on this topic.