The Sugars Intake Measurement Study: A study to investigate the association between carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios as a biomarker of sugars intake in 120 healthy participants in New Zealand

None listed

Restriction of free sugars is an almost universal recommendation despite a relatively high degree of inconsistency in the evidence base linking free sugars with health risks. Food industry continues to debate the relevance of sugar reduction strategies thus ongoing research to investigate the effects of sugar on population health is needed. Nutritional studies typically assess free sugars intakes using self-report methods which are subject to substantial misreporting thus observed diet-disease relationships are frequently obscured. Previous research in the U.S. has shown that carbon stable isotope ratios could be used as a objective measure of intakes of free sugars. The carbon stable isotope composition of a sweetener reflects the isotopic composition of the plant from which it originated. In NZ the majority of sweeteners are derived from sugar cane which has a distinctive d13C signature compared with other plant-derived foods and preliminary research has shown that d13C values in various tissues correlates with consumption of sugar-sweetened foods and drinks. For the validation current study, we will recruit 120 volunteers, measure the carbon stable isotopes in blood and hair samples as biomarkers of free sugars intakes and validate these markers against intakes of free sugars estimated by conventional dietary assessment methods including a general short food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), a sugars-specific FFQ and a 7d weighed diet record.

No related papers found yet.