Stable isotope markers of sweetened beverage consumption: relationships with health outcomes in a Yup'ik Eskimo study population

• Published in: The FASEB Journal
• Main Authors: Nash, Sarah Heather, Bersamin, Andrea, Kristal, Alan R, Boyer, Bert B, OˈBrien, Diane M
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2012
• Subjects: eskimo*; Yup'ik; Alaska
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.1004.5

The objective of this study was to develop and apply stable isotope markers of sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) intake in the Yup'ik Eskimo population of Southwest Alaska. Biomarkers of SSB intake are of interest in this population, which is experiencing a nutrition transition that includes increased consumption of sugars. The carbon isotope ratio (δ 13 C) is high in sweeteners based on corn or sugar cane, and has been associated with SSB intake in non‐Native US populations. We show that soft drink intake is associated with the δ 13 C values of RBC (r = 0.47), hair (r = 0.52) and plasma (r = 0.57) in a community‐based sample of 68 Yup'ik Eskimos. However, δ 13 C is also associated with traditional and commercial animal protein sources. Thus, this marker cannot be used as an indicator of SSB specifically, but indicates intake of market foods generally. We then examine the relationship between RBC δ 13 C and markers of chronic disease in a larger study population (n = 1003). In models adjusted for age, sex, BMI and marine intake, δ 13 C values were positively associated with fat mass, waist circumference, Apo‐A2, triglycerides, and diastolic blood pressure. They were negatively associated with ghrelin, LDL and HbA1c. We conclude that increased intake of market foods has a negative impact on chronic disease risk factors. Grant Funding Source : NIH NCRR COBRE: P20 RR16430‐10, and NIH NIDDK R01DK07442