High fructose corn syrup drinks and serum sodium in US adults
What it found
In US adults, higher intake of high fructose corn syrup sweetened drinks was linked to slightly higher serum sodium.
Diet soft drinks showed no such link.
What they found
Studies in people
HFCS drinks and sodium
Serum sodium rose step by step as high fructose corn syrup sweetened drink intake increased. Compared with the lowest intake group, the highest intake group had serum sodium 0.21 mmol/L higher after full adjustment.
Even moderate intake
Even moderate intake of high fructose corn syrup sweetened soft drinks was linked to higher serum sodium. Each extra serving per day was tied to a 0.05 mmol/L higher serum sodium.
Diet soft drinks
No link was found between diet soft drink consumption and serum sodium after adjusting for other factors. This held whether diet drinks were looked at as a continuous or grouped measure.
Subgroups
The link between high fructose corn syrup drinks and serum sodium did not differ significantly by age, sex, race, BMI, kidney function, income, activity level, or history of high blood pressure.
What the authors conclude
“There was a step-wise increase in serum sodium concentration with increasing consumption of HFCS sweetened beverages.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that there was a step-wise increase in serum sodium concentration with increasing consumption of HFCS sweetened beverages.
- They state that even moderate HFCS sweetened soft drink intake was associated with an elevated serum sodium level, which is a risk factor for hypertension.
How it was done
The authors wanted to see whether these drinks relate to serum sodium, since sodium is a key factor in high blood pressure and this had rarely been studied.
They looked at survey data from 6989 US adults aged 18 and over in NHANES 2003-2006. Drink intake was assessed by food-frequency questionnaire and serum sodium was measured from blood samples.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a cross-sectional study, so it can show a link but cannot prove that high fructose corn syrup drinks cause higher serum sodium.
- Serum sodium was measured only once, so changes over time could not be assessed.
- The study relied on people remembering what they drank, which can be inaccurate.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
- Authors work at
- Capital Medical University, China; Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, China
The paper
- Title
- Relationship between high fructose corn syrup sweetened drinks, diet soft drinks, and serum sodium: NHANES 2003-2006
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Li M, Gong W, Wang S, Li Z (2022). Relationship between high fructose corn syrup sweetened drinks, diet soft drinks, and serum sodium: NHANES 2003-2006. Nutrition journal. doi:10.1186/s12937-022-00832-7Free full textPubMed 36581871DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error