SOFT DRINK AND DIABETES
Drinking just one 12-ounce sugar-sweetened
soft drink a day can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to
22 percent, a European study contends.
The finding is based on an analysis
of data collected from more than 28,000 people in Denmark, France, Germany,
Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
The increased risk of developing
diabetes associated with having one sugar-sweetened soft drink a day fell to 18
percent when the investigators took into account people’s total calorie intake
and body-mass index (BMI), a measurement of body fat based on height and
weight.
Both total calorie intake and BMI
are believed to play a role in the link between sugar-sweetened soft drinks and
diabetes risk. The fact that diabetes risk fell only slightly when these two
factors were taken into account could indicate that the effect of
sugar-sweetened soft drinks on diabetes goes beyond their impact on body
weight, said Dora Romaguera, of the Imperial College London, and colleagues.
The findings are published in the
April 24 issue of the journal Diabetologia.
The study found an association
between consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and heightened risk of type
2 diabetes. It did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.
Consumption of pure or diluted fruit
juice was not significantly associated with diabetes risk, according to the
report.
The 22 percent increased risk of
diabetes among Europeans who drink sugar-sweetened soft drinks is similar to
previous research showing that North Americans who consume these types of
beverages have a 25 percent increased risk of diabetes, the researchers said in
a journal news release.
“Given the increase in sweet
beverage consumption in Europe, clear messages on the unhealthy effect of these
drinks should be given to the population,” Romaguera said.
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