Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Communication
  • Published:

Intake of sweet foods and counts of cariogenic microorganisms in obese and normal-weight women

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 55, pages 850–855 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: To study the intake of sweet foods in obese and normal-weight women, while also taking menstrual cycle effects on eating behaviour into consideration. An objective test of the intake of sugar-containing foods was introduced by measuring salivary counts of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli.

Design: A cross-sectional comparison of the intake of sweet foods in obese and normal-weight women. The obese women were also studied longitudinally after 10 weeks in a weight reduction programme.

Subjects: Obese (n=72, body mass index (BMI) 42.0±5.2 kg/m2) and normal-weight women (n=67, BMI 22.2±1.6 kg/m2) participated.

Results: Mutans streptococci in saliva were higher in obese than in normal-weight women (P<0.0001), although the reported habitual daily intake of sweet foods did not differ. Of the menstruating women, 80% of the obese subjects and 62% of the normal-weight ones (P<0.05) reported periods during the menstrual cycle with an ‘extra large’ intake of sweet foods; these intakes were higher in obese than in normal-weight women (P<0.01). The obese women reduced their intake of sweet foods after 10 weeks of weight reduction, although these changes were not pronounced enough to significantly affect the counts of cariogenic microorganisms.

Conclusions: In contrast to most previous cross-sectional studies, this study shows that obese women have a higher intake of sweet foods, especially pre-menstrually. This was indicated by higher salivary counts of cariogenic microorganisms.

Sponsorship: Karolinska Institute Research Funds.

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2001) 55, 850–855

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andréen I & Köhler B (1992) Effects of Weight Watchers' diet on salivary secretion rate, buffer effect and number of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli Scand. J. Dent. Res. 100 93–97

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bolton-Smith C & Woodward M (1994) Dietary composition and fat to sugar ratios in relation to obesity Int. J. Obes. Relat. Metab. Disord. 18 820–828

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Buffenstein R, Poppit SD, McDevitt RM & Prentice AM (1995) Food intake and the menstrual cycle: a retrospective analysis, with implications for appetite research Physiol. Behav. 58 1067–1077

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cerú C & Rössner S (1998) ‘Extravagances’ during weight reduction, an analysis of food preferences and selection Appetite 31 93–99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drewnowski A, Henderson SA, Shore AB, Fischler C, Preziosi P & Hercberg S (1997) The fat-sucrose seesaw in relation to age and dietary variety of French adults Obes. Res. 5 511–518

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dye L & Blundell JE (1997) Menstrual cycle and appetite control: implications for weight regulation Hum. Reprod. 12 1142–1151

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Emilson CG (1983) Prevalence of Streptococcus mutans with different colonial morphologies in human plaque and saliva Scand. J. Dent. Res. 91 26–32

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gibson SA (1996) Are high-fat, high-sugar foods and diets conducive to obesity? Int. J. Food Sci. Nutr. 47 405–415

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gold OG, Jordan HV & Van Houte J (1973) A selective medium for Streptococcus mutans Arch. Oral Biol. 18 1357–1364

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson TM (1987) Premenstrual syndrome as a western culture-specific disorder Cult. Med. Psychiat. 11 337–356

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karjalainen S, Hämäläinen M, Karhuvaara L & Söderling E (1987) Effects of variations in sucrose consumption on salivary lactobacillus count and sucrase activity in man Acta Odontol. Scand. 45 289–296

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kristoffersson K & Birkhed D (1987) Effects of partial sugar restrictions for 6 weeks on number of Streptococcus mutans in saliva and interdental plaque in man Caries Res. 21 79–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindroos A-K, Lissner L & Sjöström L (1993) Validity and reproducibility of a self-administered dietary questionnaire in obese and non-obese subjects Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 47 461–481

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Macdiarmid JI & Blundell JE (1997) Dietary under-reporting: what people say about recording their food intake Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 51 199–200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Macdiarmid JI & Blundell JE (1998) Assessing dietary intake: who, what and why of under-reporting Nutr. Res. Rev. 11 231–253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Macdiarmid JI, Vail A, Cade JE & Blundell JE (1998) The sugar-fat relationship revisited: differences in consumption between men and women of varying BMI Int. J. Obes. Relat. Metab. Disord. 22 1053–1061

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mela DJ & Aaron JI (1997) Honest but valid: what subjects say about recording their food intake J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 97 791–793

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller WC, Lindeman AK, Wallace J & Niederpruem M (1990) Diet composition, energy intake, and exercise in relation to body fat in men and women Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 52 426–430

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muhlheim LS, Allison DB, Heshka S & Heymsfield SB (1998) Do unsuccessful dieters intentionally underreport food? Int. J. Eat Disord. 24 259–266

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Möller AJR (1966) Microbiological examination of root canals and periapical tissues of human teeth. Thesis. Odontol. Tidskr. 74 1–380

    Google Scholar 

  • Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 1996 Scand. J. Nutr. 40 161–165

  • Paige KE & Paige JM (1981) Politics and Reproduction Rituals Berkeley: University of California Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheie AA, Arneberg P, Orstavik D & Afseth J (1984) Microbial composition, Ph-depressing capacity and acidogenicity of 3-week smooth surface plaque developed on sucrose-regulated diets in man Caries Res. 18 74–86

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stam-Moraga MC, Kolanowski J, Dramaix M, De Backer G & Kornitzer MD (1999) Sociodemographic and nutritional determinants of obesity in Belgium Int. J. Obes. Relat. Metab. Disord. 23 1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. B Barkeling: Guarantor: Dr B Barkeling.

  2. B Barkeling, I Andersson, AK Lindroos, D Birkhed and S Rössner: Contributors: All five investigators were involved in the design of the study. BB and IA were responsible for the data collection. BB performed the statistical analysis. DB was responsible for the analysis of the cariogenic microorganisms. BB, IA and AL were responsible for analysing the data from the dietary questionnaire. BB was responsible for drafting the paper, but all five investigators contributed to the final manuscript.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Obesity Unit, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

    B Barkeling, I Andersson & S Rössner

  2. Institute of Internal Medicine, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden

    AK Lindroos

  3. Department of Cariology, Faculty of Odontology, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden

    D Birkhed

Authors
  1. B Barkeling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. I Andersson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. AK Lindroos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. D Birkhed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. S Rössner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to B Barkeling.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Barkeling, B., Andersson, I., Lindroos, A. et al. Intake of sweet foods and counts of cariogenic microorganisms in obese and normal-weight women. Eur J Clin Nutr 55, 850–855 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601237

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601237

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links