Some calories more harmful than others, study finds

While calories from any food have the potential to increase the risk of obesity and other cardiometabolic diseases, nutrition researchers agree that sugar-sweetened beverages play a unique role in chronic health problems, by factors that are additional to their calorie contribution.

The study found that the disease risk increases, even when the beverages are consumed within diets that do not result in weight gain.

The authors also agreed that the sugar substitute aspartame does not promote weight gain in adults.

They found that consumption of polyunsaturated fats, such as those found in some vegetable oils, seeds and nuts, lowers disease risk when compared with equal amounts of saturated fats.