Nutritional and dental implications of high and low intakes of sugar

Currently, in nutrition there are major anxieties over the bearing of high intakes of energy and certain nutrients (e.g. fat, sugar) on health/ill-health. Two questions concern sugar: does a high intake (1) cause a deleterious imbalance or dilution of macro- and micro-nutrients? and (2) does it promote degenerative diseases, in particular dental caries? As to the first question, evidence from a variety of contexts indicates that nutrient intakes are not reduced; rather they are increased. Additionally, one accompaniment of a high sugar intake is a reduced intake of fat, one of the primary aims of nutritional guidelines. However, these do not license excessive sugar consumption. As to sugar and degenerative diseases, evidence is lacking that sugar intake is significantly influential other than for dental caries. An examination of evidence indicates sugar consumption to be a weak factor in caries development; its intake explains little of the variance in caries occurrence. Clearly, additional factors are influential-genetic, exposure to fluoride, and dietary components other than sugar. Early detection of the relatively small proportion of caries-prone individuals by appropriate markers, must be sought.