Yahoo Lifestyle New study links sugary soft drinks to heart failure
We know the dangers of sugary soda.
It has been linked to high blood pressure, weight gain, diabetes, high blood sugar, obesity and stroke risk. And now there’s another study to add to the long line of evidence just how harmful sweetened beverages are for your health: it may lead to heart failure.
Research published in the British Medical Journal followed the food habits of 42,000 Swedish men over 12 years and revealed that those who drank at least two sweetened beverages per day had a 23 per cent higher risk of going into heart failure.
According to co-author Susanna Larsson, “the takeaway message is that people who regularly consumed sweetened beverages should consider limiting their consumption to reduce their risk of heart failure.”
In this particular study, ‘sweetened drinks’ only included soft drinks or soda which were sweetened either with sugar or an artificial sweetener – tea, coffee and fruit juice were excluded for the study. As researchers only focused on a particular group – men aged 45 to 79, they admitted more study was needed and the results may not apply to younger groups, women or particular ethic groups.
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However they do warn that women need to be wary of sugary drinks. “Sweetened beverage consumption has been associated with blood pressure, insulin concentration, weight gain, obesity and type-2 diabetes also in women,” Larsson said.
According to reports, more than 23 million people worldwide suffer from heart failure. It’s characterised by the heart being too weak to pump enough blood and oxygen throughout the body.
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It is possible that other factors, including physical activity and other dietary habits may have influenced participants’ risk of heart failure however it does add to increasing evidence linking soft drink wit heart disease.
Bottom line: there are a whole host of health problems associated with sugary sodas, so drink water instead.
