Dropping One Sugary Soda a Day Could Cut Diabetes Risk: Study
Dropping One Sugary Soda a Day Could Cut Diabetes Risk: Study
Drinking water, unsweetened tea or coffee instead lowered chances of blood sugar disease by 25 percent
Of course, people who love sweet drinks might have other habits that raise the odds of diabetes. But, Forouhi said, her team accounted for many of those factors -- including body weight, exercise habits and people's education levels.
The good news, according to Forouhi, is that the study also pointed to a simple solution: The researchers estimate that replacing just one sugary drink every day, with water or unsweetened coffee or tea, could lower people's diabetes risk by 14 percent to 25 percent.
There was no evidence that artificially sweetened drinks would have the same benefit. In fact, people who favored those drinks had a higher diabetes risk. But Forouhi's team found an apparent explanation: Fans of diet drinks were often obese or had a family history of diabetes -- suggesting that people at high risk of diabetes were opting for artificially sweetened drinks.
To Toby Smithson, a dietitian who specializes in meal planning to control or prevent diabetes, the message is straightforward: "This is a reminder to be careful about the calories you drink," she said.
For the typical adult, one cup of chocolate milk provides about 9 percent of calorie needs for the day, according to Smithson, who is also a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Milk does offer protein, calcium and other nutrients, but the added sugar in sweetened milk adds up to empty calories, Smithson pointed out.
A 12-ounce sugar-sweetened soda, meanwhile, is all empty calories -- and adds up to about 7 percent of a person's daily calorie needs, Smithson said.
Responding to the study, the American Beverage Association (ABA) objected to pointing the finger at sweetened drinks.
"Leading health organizations -- including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Mayo Clinic -- agree that the known risk factors for type 2 diabetes include being overweight or obese, race or ethnicity, increasing age, lack of physical activity and family history of diabetes, not beverage consumption," the ABA said in a statement.
But both Forouhi and Smithson said that replacing sugary drinks with water or unsweetened tea or coffee is a simple step people can take to cut sugar from their diets.
If you find water too bland, Smithson suggested adding a slice of lemon, lime or orange. Another trick she often recommends: Put a cinnamon stick in boiling water, to make a sweet-tasting tea without sugar.
Dropping 1 Sugary Soda a Day May Cut Diabetes Risk
Drinking water, unsweetened tea or coffee instead lowered chances of blood sugar disease by 25 percent
Of course, people who love sweet drinks might have other habits that raise the odds of diabetes. But, Forouhi said, her team accounted for many of those factors -- including body weight, exercise habits and people's education levels.
The good news, according to Forouhi, is that the study also pointed to a simple solution: The researchers estimate that replacing just one sugary drink every day, with water or unsweetened coffee or tea, could lower people's diabetes risk by 14 percent to 25 percent.
There was no evidence that artificially sweetened drinks would have the same benefit. In fact, people who favored those drinks had a higher diabetes risk. But Forouhi's team found an apparent explanation: Fans of diet drinks were often obese or had a family history of diabetes -- suggesting that people at high risk of diabetes were opting for artificially sweetened drinks.
To Toby Smithson, a dietitian who specializes in meal planning to control or prevent diabetes, the message is straightforward: "This is a reminder to be careful about the calories you drink," she said.
For the typical adult, one cup of chocolate milk provides about 9 percent of calorie needs for the day, according to Smithson, who is also a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Milk does offer protein, calcium and other nutrients, but the added sugar in sweetened milk adds up to empty calories, Smithson pointed out.
A 12-ounce sugar-sweetened soda, meanwhile, is all empty calories -- and adds up to about 7 percent of a person's daily calorie needs, Smithson said.
Responding to the study, the American Beverage Association (ABA) objected to pointing the finger at sweetened drinks.
"Leading health organizations -- including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Mayo Clinic -- agree that the known risk factors for type 2 diabetes include being overweight or obese, race or ethnicity, increasing age, lack of physical activity and family history of diabetes, not beverage consumption," the ABA said in a statement.
But both Forouhi and Smithson said that replacing sugary drinks with water or unsweetened tea or coffee is a simple step people can take to cut sugar from their diets.
If you find water too bland, Smithson suggested adding a slice of lemon, lime or orange. Another trick she often recommends: Put a cinnamon stick in boiling water, to make a sweet-tasting tea without sugar.
