People who consume a lot of
sugary drinks
and sports drinks every day may be more prone to die prematurely from heart disease and cancer than those with little or no use. This is suggested by a study that appeared in Circulation and was conducted by U.S. researchers, mostly belonging to the Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
Heavy soda consumption was associated with an increased risk of premature death from any cause by 28 percent, from heart disease by 31 percent, and from cancer by 16 percent. The result is the result of the analysis of a large amount of data: 37,716 men and 80,647 women examined along a multi-decade follow-up, from 28 to 34 years.
“Here in the United States,” said study coordinator, nutritionist Vasanti Malik. About half of the population consumes at least one sugary drink a day. Replacing them with other beverages, particularly water, is an effective strategy for improving health and longevity.”
Although, in the U.S., consumption has declined overall over the past decade, there has been a slight increase again recently, with each person taking in an average of 145 calories per day through consumption of these beverages. The study takes on particular value because of the large sample taken, but it is not a controlled experiment that can demonstrate a direct cause between sugary drink consumption and the onset of disease, Malik pointed out; however, it is likely that both the added sugars and calories contributed by these drinks play a role. High consumption could make people more likely to develop risk factors for diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic health problems; in addition, excess calories contribute to obesity and all the harms that come with it. As for the observed increased cancer risk, according to the American researcher, “it probably concerns those cancers related to diet, including breast cancer and, to a lesser extent, colon cancer.”
Malik VS, Li Y, Pan A, De Koning L, Schernhammer E, Willett WC, Hu FB. Long-Term Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened and Artificially Sweetened Beverages and Risk of Mortality in US Adults. Circulation. 2019 Mar 18.
