New study links sugar-free sodas to higher risk of death

Here is less than refreshing information about soda ash: even sugar-free versions were associated with a higher risk of death in a study involving 452,000 people in 10 countries.

The study, published Tuesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that people who drank two or more glasses of carbonated drinks a day were more likely to die of all types of ailments, compared to those who drank less a glass a month. .

"The results of this study seem to support ongoing public health measures aimed at reducing the consumption of soft drinks," the researchers concluded.

The study revealed differences between the health effects of sugar-containing and artificially sweetened beverages. Sweetened non-alcoholic beverages were associated with deaths from digestive diseases (a broad category including diseases of the liver, appendages, pancreas, intestines and other diseases), while increased consumption of sugar-free products was associated with deaths from circulatory diseases, y ischemic heart disease, also called coronary heart disease.

Researchers found no connection between soft drink consumption and deaths from cancer or death from Alzheimer's disease. Consuming larger amounts of sugar-free, sugar-free soft drinks was associated with the risk of death from Parkinson's disease. Previous studies have linked the high level of consumption of sweetened and artificial non-alcoholic beverages to high risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the authors noted.

About 50 researchers, led by Neil Murphy, PhD, of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, co-authored this study. He used data collected through questionnaires and interviews between 1992 and 2000. The study participants were in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, the United States, and the United States. Denmark, Norway, Spain and Sweden.

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo did not respond to requests for comment. Soda sales have declined in recent years, as health-conscious consumers are increasingly looking for bottled water and seltzer.

The JAMA study builds on previous research on the links between soft drink consumption and poor health outcomes. Drinking two or more sugary drinks a day was associated with a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease, especially among women, according to a report released earlier this year in the Circulation Journal of the American Heart Association.

Drinking more soda containing caffeine has also been associated with migraines and consuming 32 ounces of energy drinks in less than an hour, increasing the risk of electrical disturbances in the heart as long as four hours later consumption, according to a small study of 34 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 40 published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

According to the American Heart Association, sweetened beverages are the main source of added sugar in the diet of the average American. They contain a typical can of baking soda containing between 35 and 37.5 grams of sugar and between 140 and 150 calories on average. A standard Hershey milk chocolate bar contains 24 grams of sugar and 220 calories.

A spokesman for the American Beverage Association, a professional group representing manufacturers of soft drinks, defended soft drinks. "Soft drinks can be safely consumed as part of a balanced diet and the authors of this study acknowledge that their research does not indicate otherwise," said the spokesperson of the company. ABA, William Dermody. "US beverage companies are committed to innovation and are looking to reduce the sugar people drink by introducing more options than ever before with less sugar and zero sugar. Today, more than half of the drinks purchased do not contain sugar. No one should overeat sugar and we ensure the safety and quality of our products. "

Some cities have tried to reduce soda consumption by imposing taxes on beverages, with mixed results. Consumption of soft drinks and other sugary drinks fell 21% in popular neighborhoods of Berkeley, California, imposing a 1 cent per ounce soft drink tax in 2016, according to the first study to measure the price of soft drinks. impact of this tax. A separate study of the Philadelphia soft drink tax revealed that it did not have much effect on sugar consumption, in part because residents who wanted to buy soda went to neighboring areas where they could not drink. There was no tax on soda. The soda industry has lobbied against such taxes.