Washington – A group of researchers has detected an increased risk of premature death in women who regularly drink sugar-sweetened beverages, according to a study published today in the journal Circulation, of the American Heart Association.
“Our results provide additional support to limit consumption of sugary drinks and replace them with other beverages, preferably water, to improve overall health and longevity,” said lead author Vasanti Malik of Harvard University.
The researchers analyzed data from more than 80,500 women and about 37,700 men, who answered questionnaires about their lifestyle and health status every 24 months for almost 35 years.
After adjusting several factors, the researchers discovered that the more sugary soft drinks a person consumed, the more their risk of premature death from any cause increased.
According to their research, drinking one to four soft drinks a month means a 1% increase in the risk of premature death; from two to six per week 6% more; from one to two per day, 14%; and two or more per day 21%.
They also found that the increased risk of early death related to the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages was more pronounced among women than among men.
“There was a particularly strong link between the consumption of sugary drinks and an increased risk of early death from cardiovascular disease,” the researchers warned.
Compared with people who drink these drinks infrequently, those who drank two or more per day had a 31% higher risk of premature death from cardiovascular disease.
These findings are “consistent”, according to the authors, with the known adverse effects of high sugar consumption in metabolic risk agents and evidence that the consumption of these beverages increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, a risk factor important for premature death.
The team led by Malik considered that these results serve as support for policies to limit the marketing of sugary drinks to children and adolescents and to implement more taxes on these soft drinks. (EFEUSA)
