UC Study Finds Drinking Sugary Beverages For Two Weeks Can Boost Heart Disease Risk Factors

DAVIS (CBS SF) – In as little as two weeks, young men and women who drank beverages with high fructose corn syrup showed increased risk factors for cardiovascular disease, according to a study from researchers at the University of California at Davis.

Researchers placed 85 participants into four groups who consumed drinks with varying doses of high fructose corn syrup, ranging from zero percent to 25 percent of their total daily calorie requirements. Participants in the group with zero percent corn syrup drank sugar-free drinks with aspartame.

After the 15-day study, researchers found those who consumed high fructose corn syrup had higher levels of lipoproteins, triglycerides and uric acid, all known risk factors for heart disease. The risk factors increased as the dose of corn syrup increased, researchers said.

"These findings clearly indicate that humans are acutely sensitive to the harmful effects of excess dietary sugar over a broad range of consumption levels," study lead author Kimber Stanhope said in a statement.

Men reportedly had higher increases in the risk factors than women, regardless if the person gained weight or not.

The American Heart Association urges limiting the amount of added sugars to no more than 100 calories per day for most women and 150 calories per day for most men.

The study will be published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.