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Imagine this scene: It’s a hot day. You just got back after a tiring run, and you grab a cold can of soda from the fridge to quench your thirst. Doesn’t seem too bad, does it?

But it actually is bad.

According to a study, consuming just one sugary drink daily may increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Sugary drinks and heart disease risk

Back in 2019, French researchers revealed that drinking one small glass of soda or sugary juice is linked to a higher risk of developing cancer or suffering heart problems.

In a separate study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, scientists in California discovered that consuming one serving of sugary sodas daily can increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

The researchers defined sugar-sweetened beverages as “caloric soft drinks, sweetened bottled waters or teas and fruit drinks,” excluding 100 percent fruit juices.

They worked with 106,178 women who haven’t been diagnosed with diabetes, stroke or cardiovascular disease. When they joined the study, the female volunteers had an average age of 52. The research is part of the ongoing California Teacher’s Study, which began in 1995.

Through a food questionnaire, the participants reported how much and what they drank. Upon examining data from the volunteers, the researchers found that during the study period, many of the women started showing signs of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The results also revealed that:

• Female volunteers who consumed one or more sugary beverages, like fruit drinks, soda, sweetened water and teas, every day can increase their risk of cardiovascular disease by 20 percent, unlike women who rarely or never drink them.
• Consuming sugary beverages daily was also linked to a 26 percent greater risk of needing a procedure to open clogged arteries, such as angioplasty, along with a 21 percent higher chance of suffering a stroke.
• The kind of sugary drinks the participants chose also made a difference. Consuming one or more sugar-added fruit drinks a day was linked to an alarming 42 percent risk of developing cardiovascular disease, unlike the participants who rarely or never drank them. With soft drinks, the risk was reduced to 23 percent.

The scientists also reported that women who drank the most sugar-sweetened beverages were younger, more likely to be current smokers, obese and are less likely to follow a balanced diet.

Cheryl Anderson, a professor of family and public health at the University of California San Diego and the lead author of the study, explained that sugar may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases in several ways.

For one, sugar consumption raises glucose levels and insulin concentrations in the blood. This can then increase appetite and cause obesity, a major risk factor for heart disease.

Anderson added that too much sugar in the blood is associated with “oxidative stress and inflammation, insulin resistance, unhealthy cholesterol profiles and Type 2 diabetes, conditions that are strongly linked to the development of atherosclerosis, the slow narrowing of the arteries that underlies most cardiovascular disease.”

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), children younger than two years old shouldn’t be given foods or drinks with added sugar. Children older than two years old and most women should only consume 100 calories from added sugar a day (six teaspoons or 25 grams) while most men should only have 150 calories from added sugar per day (nine teaspoons of sugar or 38 grams).

How to limit your sugar intake

Limiting your consumption of sugary beverages is crucial to your overall health. If you’re having trouble cutting down on your soda intake, try some of the tips below.

1. Start cutting back immediately. If you enjoy sugary drinks such as sweetened teas and sodas daily, start limiting your intake now. Try consuming half sweetened and half unsweetened drinks until you eventually get used to consuming less sugar. Continue doing this until you can cut out all sugary drinks from your regular diet.
2. Check nutrition labels and ingredient lists. Beverages like energy drinks may be confusing because they are often advertised as healthy even though they are actually full of calories and added sugars. Note that common forms of added sugars include agave, concentrated fruit juice, dextrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, sucrose and syrups. Read the label carefully: One container may be more than one serving and drinking everything by yourself may double or triple the added sugars you’re consuming in a day.
3. Drink more water. Instead of chugging cans of soda daily, stay hydrated by drinking more water. If you can’t stand plain water, add slices of your favorite fruits like apples or lemons to give your water a fruity flavor. Always bring a refillable water bottle or keep a cup at your work desk so you don’t forget to drink water.
4. Make healthy smoothies. Smoothies are a great way to boost your nutrient intake. If you’re craving a sugary drink or you need an energy boost for another all-nighter, make a nutritious smoothie using frozen fruits and veggies, plain  low-fat yogurt, milk or water.

Making healthy swaps is important if you want to improve your overall well-being. Instead of drinking one can of soda daily, enjoy delicious fruit smoothies instead or drink refreshing fruit-infused water.

Sources:

HeraldTribune.com

Heart.org 1

Heart.org 2