Too much sugar in the diet has been associated with an unhealthy diet and consumers have been warned against sugary drinks.
Overweight and obese individuals are especially at risk because they need to control their calorie intake to be a healthy weight.
A recent study found that the risk for type 2 diabetes is significantly increased with one serving of sweetened soft drink per day.
For the study, researchers collected data on consumption of:
- Juices
- Nectars
- Sugar sweetened soft drinks
- Artificial sweeteners
The data was take from 8 European patient groups involved in an investigation of cancer and nutrition. There were 12,403 diabetics and over 16,000 participants randomly selected.After taking total energy and body mass index(BMI) into account, researchers found one sweetened soft drink per day increased the risk of type 2 diabetes per 18%. Pure fruit juices and nectars were not associated with diabetes and when the BMI's were taken into account, artificial sweeteners could not be linked to the increased risk.
Read more on this studyAccording to the study, even normal weight or thin individuals can develop type 2 diabetes due to the consumption of one sugary sweetened soft drink per day.
Healthy eating is an important lifestyle habit to prevent diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, strokes, respiratory disease and obesity.
Click here for a healthy eating guide.
