Association of unsweetened and sweetened cereal consumption with all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a large prospective population-based cohort study

Abstract

Background & aims: Although previous observational studies have suggested an association between whole grain consumption (including breakfast cereals) and a reduced risk of death, no study has explored in detail the association between consumption of cereal with or without added sweeteners and death. We therefore aimed to evaluate the association between unsweetened, sugar-sweetened, and artificially sweetened cereals and all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 186 419 UK Biobank participants who met the inclusion criteria for this study. Participants with baseline demographic, lifestyle, dietary, and clinical data were recruited from 2006 to 2010 and followed up until 2023. The intake of unsweetened, sugar-sweetened, or artificially sweetened cereals was estimated through repeated 24 hour dietary recalls. The non-linear relationships between daily dosage of cereal and all-cause, cancer-specific, and cardiovascular disease (CVD)-specific mortality were calculated using a restricted cubic spline curve. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all-cause and cause-specific mortality were calculated using Cox regression models. Results: During a median follow-up of 13.6 years, 11 351 all-cause deaths were recorded, including 6176 cancer deaths and 2126 CVD deaths. Cox regression models with restricted cubic splines showed a non-linear association between unsweetened cereals and all-cause and cancer-specific mortality. Compared with non-consumers, consumers of different amounts of unsweetened cereals (0 to 0.5, 0.5 to 1.5, and >1.5 bowls per day) had lower risks of all-cause mortality in the multivariate Cox models, with respective HRs of 0.89 (95%CI: 0.84–0.95), 0.90 (95%CI: 0.86–0.94), and 0.89 (95%CI: 0.82–0.97). However, no association was observed between consumption of sugar or artificially sweetened cereals and the risk of mortality. When cereals were divided into those with or without dried fruit, the findings were consistent with our primary results. Conclusions: Moderate consumption of unsweetened cereals was associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality, suggesting caution in consuming cereals with added sugar or artificial sweeteners.