The unfortunate truth about food is that just because it tastes good doesn’t mean it is good. Sugary drinks like soda are just another part of that reality, and we all know it.
However, the stakes now appear to be higher than previously believed.
Recent research out of Tufts University concluded that worldwide, the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is linked to 2.2 million new cases of Type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new cases of cardiovascular disease every year.
That means sugar-sweetened beverages account for 9.8% of all new Type 2 diabetes cases and 3.1% of new heart disease cases globally.
These conditions are two of the world’s leading causes of death, and heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States.
Tufts University researchers came to their conclusions, which were published in the scientific journal Nature Medicine, after analyzing dietary data on 2.9 million individuals from 118 countries.
They defined sugar-sweetened beverages as any beverage with added sugars and at least 50 calories per 8-ounce serving — including soda, energy drinks, fruit drinks, punch, lemonade and aguas frescas.
The link to Type 2 diabetes and heart disease was greater in:
- Men than women
- Younger adults than older adults
- Higher-educated adults than less-educated adults
- People living in urban areas than those in rural communities
- People living in Latin America, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa than those in other regions of the world
Researchers say that because sugar-sweetened beverages are liquid, they’re quickly consumed, which leads to lower satisfaction and higher calorie intake and can cause a spike in blood sugar levels.
As a result, regularly drinking these beverages can lead to weight gain, insulin resistance and other metabolic issues that are associated with Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
In a summary of the study findings, lead author Laura Lara-Castor says:
“We need urgent, evidence-based interventions to curb consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages globally, before even more lives are shortened by their effects on diabetes and heart disease.”
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