Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Study: Sugar consumed through soda, fruit juice consistently linked to higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes

'Drinking your sugar—whether from soda or juice—is more problematic for health than eating it'

Brigham Young University

Photo illustration: Rethinking Sugar — image:
Drinking your sugar—whether from soda or juice—is more problematic for health than eating it.
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Credit: Aaron Cornia/BYU Photo

For years, we've been told that sugar is a major culprit behind the global rise in type 2 diabetes. Now, emerging evidence from BYU researchers adds nuance to that message, suggesting not all sugar sources carry the same risk.

In the largest and most comprehensive meta-analysis of its kind, BYU researchers—in collaboration with researchers from Germany-based institutions—found that the type and source of sugar may matter far more than previously thought. Researchers analyzed data from over half a million people across multiple continents, revealing a surprising twist: sugar consumed through beverages—like soda and even fruit juice—was consistently linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). Meanwhile, other sugar sources showed no such link and, in some cases, were even associated with a lower risk.

“This is the first study to draw clear dose-response relationships between different sugar sources and type 2 diabetes risk,” said Karen Della Corte, lead author and BYU nutritional science professor. “It highlights why drinking your sugar—whether from soda or juice—is more problematic for health than eating it.”

After correcting for body mass index, excess energy intake and several other lifestyle risk factors, the researchers found the following dose-response relationships:

With each additional 12-oz serving of sugar-sweetened beverages (i.e., soft drinks, energy drinks and sports drinks) per day, the risk for developing T2D increased by 25%. This strong relationship showed that the increased risk began from the very first daily serving with no minimum threshold below which intake appeared to be safe.
With each additional 8-oz serving of fruit juice per day (i.e., 100% fruit juice, nectars and juice drinks), the risk for developing T2D increased by 5%.
The above risks are relative not absolute. For example, if the average person’s baseline risk of developing T2D is about 10%, four sodas a day could raise that to roughly 20%, not 100%.
Comparatively, 20 g/day intakes of total sucrose (table sugar) and total sugar (the sum of all naturally occurring and added sugars in the diet) showed an inverse association with T2D, hinting at a surprising protective association.

Why drinking sugar would be more problematic than eating sugar may come down to the differing metabolic effects. Sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juice supply isolated sugars, leading to a greater glycemic impact that would overwhelm and disrupt liver metabolism thereby increasing liver fat and insulin resistance.

On the other hand, dietary sugars consumed in or added to nutrient-dense foods, such as whole fruits, dairy products, or whole grains, do not cause metabolic overload in the liver. These embedded sugars elicit slower blood glucose responses due to accompanying fiber, fats, proteins and other beneficial nutrients.

Fruit juice, even with some vitamins and nutrients, is much less beneficial. Because of its high and concentrated sugar content, the researchers conclude that fruit juice is a poor substitute for whole fruits, which provide more fiber to support better blood glucose regulation.

“This study underscores the need for even more stringent recommendations for liquid sugars such as those in sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juice, as they appear to harmfully associate with metabolic health," Della Corte said. "Rather than condemning all added sugars, future dietary guidelines might consider the differential effects of sugar based on its source and form."

Journal

Advances in Nutrition

DOI

10.1016/j.advnut.2025.100413

Method of Research

Meta-analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Dietary Sugar Intake and Incident Type 2 Diabetes Risk: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

Article Publication Date

22-Apr-2025

COI Statement

The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: LS is an associate editor of Advances in Nutrition. AEB reports a relationship with German Research Foundation that includes: funding grants. AEB reports a relationship with European Commission Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development Joint Technology Initiatives that includes: funding grants. AEB reports a relationship with Nutrition that includes: board membership. AEB reports a relationship with German Society for Nutrition eV that includes: speaking and lecture fees. AEB reports a relationship with Chinese GI Foundation that includes: speaking and lecture fees. AEB reports a relationship with German Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine eV that includes: speaking and lecture fees. AEB reports a relationship with International Life Sciences Institute Europe ILSI that includes: speaking and lecture fees. AEB reports a relationship with Ernahrung im Fokus that includes: speaking and lecture fees. AEB reports a relationship with Paderborn University Head Ethics Committee that includes: board membership. AEB reports a relationship with Nutriscore that includes: board membership. All other authors report no conflicts of interest.

Sweetness and Power

Masarykova univerzita
https://is.muni.cz › jaro2017 › SAN106 ›

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SIDNEY W. MINTZ. SWEETNESS. AND POWER. THE PLACE OF SUGAR. IN MODERN HISTORY. This engraving by William Blake, Europe Supported by Africa and America, was ...

127 pages

SPAGYRIC HERBALISM

Herbal medicine for the mind: Traditionally used medicinal plants for memory loss from the Indian subcontinent

Xia & He Publishing Inc.

Burden of Memory Disorders and the Role of Traditional Medicine

The growing global population of elderly individuals has led to a dramatic rise in chronic diseases, including neurocognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. These conditions, which are expected to affect over 150 million people worldwide by 2050, are marked by memory loss, impaired judgment, and cognitive decline. While pharmacological interventions exist, their limitations in accessibility, affordability, and side effect profiles have prompted the exploration of holistic approaches. This review emphasizes traditional herbal medicines, which have long been used in South Asia and are gaining popularity worldwide as potential alternatives.

Identification of Traditionally Used Medicinal Plants

A two-phase approach was used to investigate memory-enhancing herbal medicines:

Textual Survey: South Asian medicinal plant books were reviewed, identifying 13 herbs traditionally used for memory loss. These included Acorus calamus, Celastrus paniculatus, Withania somnifera, and Zingiber officinale, among others.
Scientific Literature Review: Using databases like PubMed and Google Scholar, the authors searched for experimental evidence supporting these plants’ memory-enhancing properties.

Mechanisms of Action

Several key mechanisms were identified through which these plants may exert beneficial effects on memory:

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) Inhibition: Many plants demonstrated the ability to inhibit AChE and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), enzymes that break down acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter essential for memory. This mirrors the mechanism of approved AD drugs like donepezil and galantamine.
NMDA Receptor Antagonism: Some herbs, such as Celastrus paniculatus and Zingiber officinale, showed potential in modulating NMDA receptors, similar to the action of memantine, another FDA-approved AD drug.
Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Effects: Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation exacerbate neurodegeneration. Many of the plants reviewed showed strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that could protect neurons and reduce the progression of AD.
Multitargeted Actions: Notably, several plants—like Acorus calamus, Withania somnifera, and Salvia officinalis—exhibited a combination of the above mechanisms, increasing their potential as effective therapeutic agents.

Evidence from Human Clinical Trials

While much of the evidence comes from preclinical (in vitro and animal) models, three plants have been evaluated in human trials:

Panax ginseng: A 12-week clinical trial showed improved memory and cognitive function in older adults using a standardized ginseng extract (ThinkGIN™), with no major side effects.
Salvia officinalis (Sage): Multiple randomized, double-blind trials demonstrated improvements in cognitive function, working memory, and attention. The benefits are attributed to terpenoids and ChE inhibition.
Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha): Clinical studies reported improvements in attention, executive function, sleep quality, and psychological well-being, with no significant adverse effects.

Limitations and Future Directions

This review, while comprehensive, acknowledges certain limitations:

The list of plants is based solely on a limited number of regional texts.
No field surveys with traditional healers or patients were conducted.
The review focused on South Asia; a global investigation could reveal additional plants with memory-enhancing properties.
Medicinal chemistry analyses were limited, which could enhance understanding of active compounds.

The authors advocate for future work including ethnobotanical surveys, broader regional studies, and detailed chemical analyses to support drug discovery.

Conclusion

This review highlights the promise of traditional South Asian medicinal plants in addressing memory loss and cognitive decline, particularly in Alzheimer’s disease. The identified plants not only reflect cultural wisdom but are increasingly supported by modern scientific evidence. Their diverse mechanisms—especially when acting in synergy—offer a rich reservoir for developing new, effective, and affordable treatments. Integrating this knowledge with modern medicine could pave the way for a more holistic, patient-centered approach to managing cognitive health.

Full text:

https://www.xiahepublishing.com/2835-6357/FIM-2024-00050

The study was recently published in the Future Integrative Medicine.

Future Integrative Medicine (FIM) is the official scientific journal of the Capital Medical University.FIM publishes both basic and clinical research, including but not limited to randomized controlled trials, intervention studies, cohort studies, observational studies, qualitative and mixed method studies, animal studies, and systematic reviews.

Journal

Future Integrative Medicine

DOI

10.14218/FIM.2024.00050

Article Title

Herbal Medicine for the Mind: Traditionally Used Medicinal Plants for Memory Loss from the Indian Subcontinent

Delivering a one-two punch to superbugs to fight infections

Penn researchers create mirror-image molecules that both kill pathogens outright and rally the immune system—an advance aimed at the growing crisis of antimicrobial resistance

University of Pennsylvania

Marcelo D.T Torres, Cesar de la Fuente, and Rakesh Krishnan — image:
From left: Marcelo Der Torossian Torres, César de la Fuente, and Rakesh Krishnan of the Machine Biology Group.

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Credit: (Image: Courtesy of Jianing Bai)

Since the discovery of penicillin nearly a century ago, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a stealthy, pervasive enemy in the fight against bacterial infections. AMR claims an estimated 1.27 million lives a year and contributed to nearly five million deaths in 2019, placing drug-resistant bacterial infections ahead of HIV and malaria as a global health threat.

To counter that trend, a cross-disciplinary team representing four schools at the University of Pennsylvania led by Hydar Ali and César de la Fuente has devised a new way to treat infections. Their findings, published in Cell Biomaterials, identified a handful of short, positively charged peptides that can both rip open bacterial membranes and rally the body’s immune defenses.

“The winning candidates are built from D-amino acids, the mirror images of the L-amino acids our bodies use,” says de la Fuente, a Presidential Associate Professor in the Perelman School of Medicine. “That simple flip makes the peptides almost invisible to the body’s digestive enzymes, so they stay intact and effective far longer than earlier peptide drugs.”

In laboratory dishes, the lead peptides pierced the protective membranes of the particularly stubborn group of pathogens known as the ESKAPEEs (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter species and Escherichia coli). It also latched onto mast cells—immune sentinels best known from allergy attacks—prompting them to release inflammatory signals such as TNF-α, IL-8 and CCL3 that summon bacteria-eating white blood cells.

That one-two punch of breaking through bacterial walls and simultaneously activating mast-cell action hinges on a cellular-surface G-protein-coupled receptor called MRGPRX2. The receptor, which is most abundant on skin-resident mast cells—guarding against infections like Staph—acts a bit like a “panic button,” flipping “on” when the designer peptide docks in its binding pocket. That signal then triggers calcium-driven degranulation, bringing histamine plus a mix of cytokines and chemokines that recruit neutrophils and monocytes to the infection site to swarm and engulf invading bacteria, and downstream clear debris and coordinate longer-term immune defenses.

“By engaging MRGPRX2, the peptide turns the host’s immune army into an ally,” explains co-first author Marcelo der Torossian Torres, a research associate in de la Fuente’s Machine Biology Group. “It’s a knockout combo no conventional antibiotic can match.”

The dual action held up in living tissue: a single low-dose injection into MRSA-infected skin significantly reduced bacterial counts and sped healing. The benefit vanished in mice genetically lacking MRGPRX2, underscoring that immune activation is essential to the therapy’s success.

Because these mirror-image peptides both attack microbes directly and also stimulate the immune system for continued response, bacteria would need to overcome two distinct hurdles at once, which could potentially slow resistance. “With antibiotic resistance soaring worldwide, therapies that obliterate bacteria while turbocharging immunity mark a critical new frontier,” says co-first author Aetas Amponnawarat of the Ali Lab.

The researchers note that preclinical studies are underway to confirm the efficacy of the peptides in animal infection models and to refine dosing. They are also engineering derivative peptides aimed at other hard-to-treat pathogens and immune targets.

Hydar Ali is the professor and associate dean for faculty development and mentorship in the Department of Basic & Translational Sciences at the School of Dental Medicine and is affiliated with Biomedical Graduate Studies in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Aetas Amponnawarat is a former graduate researcher in the Ali lab at Penn who is now an instructor at Chiang Mai University.

César de la Fuente is a Presidential Associate Professor and directs the Machine Biology Group. He has appointments in Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, School of Engineering and Applied Science, and School of Arts & Sciences.

Rakesh Krishnan is a postdoctoral researcher in the Machine Biology Group.

Marcelo der Torossian Torres is a research associate in the de la Fuente Lab and Machine Biology Group at Penn.

The research was supported by Procter & Gamble Company; United Therapeutics; a BBRF Young Investigator Grant; the Nemirovsky Prize; the Penn Health-Tech Accelerator Award; the Dean’s Innovation Fund (Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania); the Langer Prize (AIChE Foundation); the National Institutes of Health (awards R35GM138201 and R01AI149487); and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA, HDTRA11810041, HDTRA1-21-1-0014, and HDTRA1-23-1-0001).

Journal

Cell Biomaterials

DOI

10.1016/j.celbio.2025.100088

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Synthetic peptides targeting a mast cell-specific G protein-coupled receptor MRGPRB2 display anti-infective potential

Article Publication Date

27-May-2025

COI Statement

C.d.l.F.-N. is a co-founder and scientific adviser to Peptaris, Inc., provides consulting services to Invaio Sciences and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Boards of Nowture S.L., Peptidus, European Biotech Venture Builder, the Peptide Drug Hunting Consortium (PDHC), ePhective Therapeutics, Inc., and Phare Bio. The de la Fuente lab has received research funding or in-kind donations from United Therapeutics, Strata Manufacturing PJSC, and Procter & Gamble, none of which were used in support of this work. M.D.T.T. is a co-founder and scientific adviser to Peptaris, Inc.

Engineering smarter drones: From nature to complex aerial manipulation

With an NSF CAREER award and inspiration from the natural world, Lehigh University researcher David Saldaña aims to expand the capabilities of aerial robots, enabling them to manipulate flexible materials and adapt to shifting forces in real time.

Lehigh University

Inspiration can hit anytime, anywhere—and come from just about anything.

“I was walking my dog and watching a squirrel jump from tree branch to tree branch,” says David Saldaña, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering at Lehigh University. “I started thinking about how quickly the animal has to adapt to the different properties of each branch and to the forces generated by their movement. And that’s when the idea hit me—how could we get robots, especially aerial robots, to adapt like that?”

Saldaña, who leads the SwarmsLab, recently received nearly $600,000 in funding through the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program to answer that question. His research will explore how to expand the capabilities of aerial robots so they can manipulate and transport flexible objects such as cables, rods, hoses, and plastic sheets. Potential applications could range from construction and disaster response to industrial automation.

The prestigious NSF CAREER award is given annually to junior faculty members across the U.S. who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research. Each award provides stable support for a five-year period.

Currently, aerial robots are limited to manipulating rigid objects, like boxes, because the dynamic and unpredictable forces associated with flexible materials present unique challenges.

“For example, if you want to grab an apple from a tree branch, the branch will generate a force against you,” says Saldaña. “As humans, we’re naturally able to respond to those forces, but it’s still a big problem for robots. We want them to learn how to adapt to and compensate for them.”

To do that, Saldaña and his team are developing a novel methodology that integrates control systems and reinforcement learning to maintain stability, enable fast learning, and ensure time-critical recovery.

“This integration and the ability to learn quickly means that the robot won’t need to do something thousands of times before it can move one of these flexible objects,” he says. “And the more pieces it moves, the more efficient it becomes.”

The project begins with the design of an adaptive controller that ensures stability and provides real-time compensation for external forces without prior knowledge of an object’s material properties. The controller establishes a baseline for reinforcement learning, which enables aerial robots to explore and optimize control strategies through interaction. By integrating adaptive control with reinforcement learning, the framework combines the reliability of baseline stability with the agility and efficiency of learned strategies.

“This type of integration has never been done before,” says Saldaña.

The main area of potential application, he says, is the construction industry, especially when it comes to skyscrapers and other high-rise buildings. Drones could deliver and position cables and rods that are currently handled by humans, which could reduce costs and increase worker safety. Other applications include assembling plastic sheeting over rooftops during hurricanes and manipulating fire hoses in emergency situations.

But before drones can help humans, their developers must solve the challenges of real-time adaptation in a world of constant actions and reactions—a world in which so many creatures operate instinctively.

“I’m excited to solve new problems,” he says, “and see what squirrel capabilities we can give to aerial robots.”

About David Saldaña

David Saldaña is an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Lehigh University. He leads the SwarmsLab and contributes to the Autonomous and Intelligent Robotics (AIR) Lab. His research focuses on multi-robot systems, swarm robotics, and aerial manipulation, with applications in environmental monitoring, disaster response, and construction. Saldaña’s work aims to develop resilient, adaptive robotic systems capable of operating in dynamic and unpredictable environments.

Before joining Lehigh’s P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science in 2019, Saldaña was a postdoctoral researcher at the GRASP Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his PhD in artificial intelligence and robotics from the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil in 2017, and holds both M.Sc. and B.Sc. degrees in systems engineering from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. His innovative research has been recognized with support from the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research, including a prestigious NSF CAREER award to advance aerial robotics capable of manipulating flexible materials and adapting to shifting forces in real time.

Where the green streets were: Tracking global urban vegetation

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

Trees, shrubs, and other plants along roads and sidewalks play an important role in making cities more resilient to climate change, improving public health, and advancing environmental justice. Yet, tracking its distribution and change over time remains a major challenge – especially across large, rapidly urbanizing regions of the world. A new IIASA-led study addresses this gap.

There is a concerning decline in street-level greenery in cities, raising important questions about urban resilience, climate adaptation, and environmental equity. Monitoring exactly how fast trees and other greenery are being lost in the world’s rapidly changing and expanding urban areas is, however, a challenge.

Led by IIASA researcher Giacomo Falchetta and published in Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability, the study introduces a novel, open-source method that enables continuous and large-scale monitoring of vegetation along urban streets using satellite imagery and machine learning.

“Our aim was to develop a method to monitor how much green infrastructure exists along streets and how it changes over time,” explains Falchetta. “Street greenery has well-documented benefits – it reduces urban heat, improves mental health, and can also absorb carbon. But until now, it’s been difficult to track it globally in a consistent and timely way.”

The authors developed a machine learning model to estimate the Green View Index (GVI) – a canopy coverage indicator derived from labeled street-level photographs. The model was trained and validated using data from multiple world cities and applied to 190 large urban areas across 20 global regions.

The results show that on average, during the eight-year period investigated, street greenery has declined globally by 0.3 to 0.5% per year. Some regions – particularly urban areas in Asia and Oceania – saw even sharper declines, with median GVI drops of 1.7% and 2.6% per year, respectively. Meanwhile, cities in Europe and North America showed moderate increases of about 1% annually. In African and Latin American cities, changes were smaller and more inconsistent.

“Not only is greenery decreasing in many places,” notes coauthor Ahmed Hammad, “but it’s also distributed unequally. In many cities, green space is sparse where people live. This disparity raises serious questions of fairness and access, especially as heatwaves and other climate stressors intensify”.

The model allows real-time updates using freely available Sentinel-2 and climate data, offering a scalable tool for city planners and policymakers and supporting the ambitions of UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). The model and data are publicly available and the output data can be combined with other key indicators of urban resource use and impacts including local temperature records from weather stations, energy demand for thermal regulation in buildings, records of the impact of extreme weather events on people and urban infrastructure, climate-related adverse impacts on human health such as morbidity and mortality, as well as subjective wellbeing indicators.

As climate extremes intensify, the authors emphasize that protecting and expanding urban greenery must become a core component of sustainable city planning.

“Our results can support targeted greening policies. With climate extremes on the rise, ensuring equitable access to green space is more urgent than ever. Our work can be a valuable resource for cities to make more informed, just, and targeted greening decisions,” Falchetta concludes.

Reference
Falchetta, G. and Hammad, A.T. (2025). Tracking green space along streets of world cities. Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability DOI: 10.1088/2634-4505/add9c4

About IIASA:
The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is an international scientific institute that conducts research into the critical issues of global environmental, economic, technological, and social change that we face in the twenty-first century. Our findings provide valuable options to policymakers to shape the future of our changing world. IIASA is independent and funded by prestigious research funding agencies in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. www.iiasa.ac.at

Journal

Environmental Research Infrastructure and Sustainability

DOI

10.1088/2634-4505/add9c4

Article Title

Tracking green space along streets of world cities

Article Publication Date

27-May-2025

Disclaimer: AAAS an

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Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Study: Sugar consumed through soda, fruit juice consistently linked to higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes

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Sweetness and Power

Herbal medicine for the mind: Traditionally used medicinal plants for memory loss from the Indian subcontinent

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DOI

Article Title

Delivering a one-two punch to superbugs to fight infections

Journal

DOI

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Subject of Research

Article Title

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COI Statement

Engineering smarter drones: From nature to complex aerial manipulation

About David Saldaña

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