Radical rethink

The study, recently published analysed the effect of sugars on dental caries, also known as tooth decay. They show that sugars are the only cause of tooth decay in children and adults.

Free sugars are defined by the World Health Organisation Nutrition Guidance Adivisory Group as follows: “Free sugars include monosaccharides and disaccharides added to foods by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, and sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit concentrates.”

Tooth decay is the most common non-communicable disease in the world, affecting 60-90 per cent of school-age children and the vast majority of adults. In the USA, 92 per cent of adults aged 20-64 have experienced decay in at least one of their permanent teeth. The treatment of dental diseases costs five-10 per cent of total health expenditure in industrialised countries.

Researchers used public health records from countries across the world to compare dental health and diet over time across large populations of adults and children. They found that the incidence of tooth decay was much higher in adults than children, and increased dramatically with any sugar consumption above zero per cent of energy. Even in children, an increase from near-zero sugar to five per cent of energy doubles the prevalence of decay and continues to rise as sugar intake increases.