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Scientists warn about number of fizzy drinks you should consume a week
The snap of opening a can of soda after a long day of work or on a hot summers day is always a satisfying sound but according to a new study, consuming just two sugary fizzy drinks a week can potentially lead to serious health problems.
Carried out over the course of 30 years, scientists studied a group of more than 100,000 people to analyze the impact of regularly consuming sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages which the study classed as soft and carbonated drinks (with or without caffeine), lemonade and fruit cocktails.
The study’s findings
Led by researchers at Harvard T./H./Chan School of Public Health, with co-authors from Universit� Laval in Quebec and Boston Childrens Hospital, the study compared the health of people who regularly consumed sugar-sweetened drinks with those who only rarely drank such beverages.
Over the course of more than three decades, participants in the study were quizzed about their physical activity biannually and were put through a more rigorous health assessment every four years.
The study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that those who consumed more than two sugar-sweetened beverages a week had a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease – any condition that affects the heart or blood vessels and also the worlds leading cause of death. Those risks only grew with daily consumption of sugary drinks.
While the study did find that regular exercise could help to alleviate the risk of developing health problems to a degree, the scientists warned that even 150 minutes of weekly physical activity was not enough to eliminate the adverse effects of sugar-sweetened beverages completely.
So, the next time youre thinking about reaching for a can of soda from the fridge, you might want to think again.
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Scientists offer their advice
While regular consumption of sugary fizzy drinks is linked to an increased risk of health problems, the study found that artificially sweetened beverages do not carry the same risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
Replacing sugar-sweetened beverages by diet drinks is good because it reduces the amount of sugar, said co-author Professor Jean-Philippe Drouin-Chartier. But the best drink option remains water.
The studys lead author, Lorena Pacheco, added to this by saying that the findings provide further support for public health recommendations and policies to limit peoples intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, as well as to encourage people to meet and maintain adequate physical activity levels.
