Sugary Drinks May Be Blamed for 330,000 Deaths Per Year
A new study suggests that sugary drinks may be responsible for more than 330,000 deaths annually from diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The study analyzed global data on sugar-sweetened beverages, observational and randomized studies, and the prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The problem is particularly severe in Latin America and the Caribbean, which saw the largest number of cardiovascular disease cases related to beverages, and sub-Saharan Africa, which saw the most cases of type 2 diabetes from sugary drinks, according to the researchers’ model.
Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, the study’s senior author and director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University, said, “This is a public health crisis, requiring urgent action.”
The study also found that the demographics most affected by sugary drinks are younger male adults with higher education in urban areas. “It’s time to pay attention to, and take priority actions to deal with, this tragic preventable suffering,” Mozaffarian said.
However, the study’s findings do not provide conclusive evidence that sugary drinks cause diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Instead, the researchers can only estimate the impact of these drinks on mortality rates.
Experts agree that sugary drinks are a major culprit in poor health outcomes. They contain “empty calories” and are a source of fast-acting carbohydrates that enter the bloodstream quickly, raising blood sugar levels.
Dr. Suzanne Janzi, a doctoral student in nutritional epidemiology at Lund University in Sweden, noted that liquid sugars are absorbed more rapidly than solid sugars, leading to glucose spikes and weight gain. She also warned that artificial sweeteners may not be the answer, citing research showing that they can cause health problems.
Instead, experts recommend switching to unsweetened drinks, such as seltzer, unsweetened tea, or coffee, or plain water. Hydration is important for managing blood pressure, blood sugar, internal temperature, and digestion, and water is the best beverage option.机关<|start_header_id|><|start_header_id|>assistant<|end_header_id|>
Sugary Drinks May Be Blamed for 330,000 Deaths Per Year
A new study suggests that sugary drinks may be responsible for more than 330,000 deaths annually from diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The study analyzed global data on sugar-sweetened beverages, observational and randomized studies, and the prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The problem is particularly severe in Latin America and the Caribbean, which saw the largest number of cardiovascular disease cases related to beverages, and sub-Saharan Africa, which saw the most cases of type 2 diabetes from sugary drinks.
Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, the study’s senior author, said, “This is a public health crisis, requiring urgent action.”
The study found that the demographics most affected by sugary drinks are younger male adults with higher education in urban areas. “It’s time to pay attention to, and take priority actions to deal with, this tragic preventable suffering,” Mozaffarian said.
But the study’s findings do not provide conclusive evidence that sugary drinks cause diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Instead, the researchers can only estimate the impact of these drinks on mortality rates.
Experts agree that sugary drinks are a major culprit in poor health outcomes. They contain “empty calories” and are a source of fast-acting carbohydrates that enter the bloodstream quickly, raising blood sugar levels.
Dr. Suzanne Janzi, a doctoral student in nutritional epidemiology, noted that liquid sugars are absorbed more rapidly than solid sugars, leading to glucose spikes and weight gain.
She also warned that artificial sweeteners may not be the answer, citing research showing that they can cause health problems.
Instead, experts recommend switching to unsweetened drinks, such as seltzer, unsweetened tea, or coffee, or plain water. Hydration is important for managing blood pressure, blood sugar, internal temperature, and digestion, and water is the best beverage option.
