Dental News - Dental associations terminate investment in sugar-sweetened beverage companies

Dental Tribune International

Thu. 24. January 2019

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ALEXANDRIA, Va., U.S.: The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) and the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) have recently announced the divestment of sugar-sweetened beverage companies from their investment portfolios. While the IADR and AADR do not have any direct investments in such companies, they have switched to investment managers who will screen for any holdings in this sector. The IADR and AADR have already excluded investments in tobacco companies.

Scientific evidence clearly indicates that sugars are the most prominent dietary factor responsible for the development of dental caries. Sugar-sweetened beverages are a major source of dietary sugars, lack nutritional value and contribute—aside from dental caries—to unhealthy weight gain, obesity and an increased risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Investing in companies that manufacture or distribute sugar-sweetened beverages or funds that have such holdings is inconsistent with the mission of both the IADR and the AADR, which is to advance research and increase knowledge for the improvement of oral health worldwide.

“There is robust research that identifies free sugars as a major cause of dental caries and sugar-sweetened beverages are a major source of free sugars and are linked to a number of non-communicable diseases,” said AADR President Maria Emanuel Ryan. President of the IADR, Rena D’Souza continued, “the initiative to remove all investments in sugar-sweetened beverage companies matches the IADR’s and AADR’s previous divestment of tobacco stocks and more clearly embodies our investment philosophy and health-based values.”

The two dental associations call on other health-related professional organizations with investment portfolios to adopt similar policies regarding sugar-sweetened beverage companies.

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