DIABETIC RISK

Today, I read an article from MyHealthNewsDaily entitled One Can of Soda a Day Raises Diabetes Risk.

"Drinking just one 12-ounce soda a day may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.

In the study, people who drank a 12-ounce sugar-sweetened soda daily were 18 percent more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes over a 16-year period compared with those who did not consume soda. And people who drank two sodas daily were 18 percent more likely to have a stroke than those who drank one; those who drank three sodas daily saw the same risk increase compared with those who drank two, and so on.

The results held even after the researchers took into account risk factors for Type 2 diabetes such as age and physical activity levels, body mass index (BMI) and the total daily calorie intake.

The findings agree with earlier studies which found daily soda consumption increased the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 25 percent."

. . . I drank regular pop for years before I switched to diet pop. I drank pop for over 40 years until last year. The study must have some truth to it, because about three years ago I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. It is well controlled now (with diet and medication) and my test results are always normal, according to my doctor. I gave up soda pop last year when I went on a strict diet in October, after which I lost my first 20 pounds (and lost the side effects of sugary soda pop, mainly gas and bloating). Early this year, I purchased a home Soda Stream drink carbonation machine (including many free samples of various drink flavors). The same Soda Stream can now be purchased at Walmart, along with all the accessories. I can now make my favorite 7-up and orange pop drink without the sugar or additives that make soda so unhealthy. . . .

"People who drank diet soda were also at increased risk for developing Type 2 diabetes during the study compared with those who drank no soda. However, when the researchers took into account participants' BMI and total energy intake, the increased risk disappeared. This finding suggests that the link between diet soda and diabetes risk was driven by participants' weight: People who are obese, and thus already at risk for Type 2 diabetes, tend to report higher consumption of diet drinks.

Pass it on: Consumption of sugar-sweetened soda is linked to an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes."