By Dr. Chinta SidharthanOct 22 2023Reviewed by Sophia Coveney A recent study published in the journal PLOS ONE explored the association between the consumption of added sugar in tea and coffee and all-cause mortality risk in older Danish men using a 32-year-long prospective cohort study.
Tea and coffee are two non-alcoholic beverages consumed widely across the globe. Various studies have examined the association between the consumption of tea and coffee and the incidence of all-cause mortality. The participants were also categorized into three socioeconomic classes based on their occupation and education levels.
The participants were also required to complete a questionnaire about lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption, smoking habits, and current and former diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. The questionnaire also enquired about their tea and coffee consumption and whether they consumed these beverages with added sugar.
Results The results indicated that among the population of Danish men studied in this longitudinal cohort, the consumption of sugar in tea and coffee showed no significant association with the risk of all-cause mortality, incident diabetes, or mortality associated with cardiovascular disease or cancer.
Although previous research has indicated a strong correlation between the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and the increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality, studies have shown that the amount of sugar added, on average, to a cup of tea or coffee is approximately 5 grams, while sugar-sweetened beverages contain approximately 25 grams per can.