September 2014

Comment regarding Sheiham and James paper in BMC Public Health on sugar and dental caries.

This is a paper using existing data, and includes the use of evidence that the World Health Organisation deemed to be of ‘very low’ quality. These historical studies use supply data of potential sugar availability and attempt to link this to incidence of dental caries. Due to their nature they are unable to show that individuals with the lowest sugar intakes have the least dental decay, or that those with higher intakes have increased amounts of dental decay.

Similarly over time, in many cases a number of decades, it is not just dietary intake of sugar that will have changed but also overall dietary intake, the types and amount of foods consumed, as well as factors such as oral hygiene and other behaviours – particularly when comparing differences between times of rationing/sanctioning and when these were lifted.

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Sugar Nutrition UK is an evidence-based association principally funded by UK sugar manufacturers and is involved in promoting nutrition research and raising awareness among academics, health professionals, the media and the public about sugars and their role in health.