The sugary soft drinks conquered the world a few years ago. Thanks to its flavor and Marketing strategiesthe soft drinks became the very image of globalization. Little by little we began to be more aware of the health hazards that the excessive consumption of these drinks carried, so much that, even in some European countries it was created THE REFRESCO TAX. With the, The consumption of free sugars was reduced In certain cases.
But a new one study It reveals that its intake is still very high in many countries. So much that there is an alarming link between the usual consumption of these drinks and millions of new cases of Type 2 diabetes every year.
Sugary pandemic. The trigger has been a study by the University of Tufts, in the United States. Reviewing the drinking data of the global dietary database, a database with more than 450 surveys with information on the consumption of sugary drinks and a sample of 2.9 million people belonging to 184 countries, they ran into an elongent figures .
Approximately, and according to this study, sugary drinks would be related to 1.2 million new cases of cardiovascular diseases and 2.2 million new cases of type 2 diabetes. Every year and worldwide, something surprising if we take into account The normalized and integrated that these drinks are in all societies.
The reasons. It is not a novelty that sugary drinks are related to type 2 diabetes, obesity and other disorders, but the reason is that they are foods that are digested quickly, causing very pronounced blood glucose spikes without providing essential nutrients. They are empty calories like those that a beer can have, but with a much larger amount of sugars.
This absorption process, repeatedly, contributes to the weight gain already most important: insulin resistance that carries metabolic problems related to the aforementioned diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. Many cases, but … What does it mean? According to the study, 80,000 deaths per year for type 2 and 258,000 diabetes due to cardiovascular diseases related to soft drinks.
Latin America and Africa. In countries that have fought in recent years to promote healthier diets and lifestyles, as well as the taxes we mentioned a few lines, that sugar consumption has decreased, but it is not something that happens throughout the world. In fact, in the study, researchers have focused on two territories: Latin America and Africa.
According to these data, in Mexico the usual consumption of these drinks with almost a third of the new cases of diabetes is associated. In Colombia, the percentage rises to almost half. And in South Africa, about 28% of new cases of diabetes and 15% of new cases of cardiovascular episodes are related to these drinks.
The explanation they have found is simple: in countries and communities with lower average income, little access to information and more limited preventive medical care, cases are triggered.
Not all. Now, what drinks are we talking about? The study focused on the data of the sugary drinks with added sugars and, at least 50 kilocalories per 240 milliliters of product. It is something that includes soft drinks, energy drinks, fruit juices with added sugar, punch and even water with flavors to which sugar is added.
Outside the focus is milk (which also has sugar), 100% natural juices without additives and without calorie products, being these sweetened drinks without added sugars. Of course, these drinks may be in the spotlight of subsequent studies, since researchers point out that, although they do not have added and not naturally present sugars, excessive consumption can also have negative health effects.
Solutions. Laura Lara-Castor is the main author of the study and Comment that “urgent and evidence -based interventions are needed to curb the consumption of sugary drinks worldwide before more lives are shortened by their effects.” Dariush Mozaffarian is another of the authors, who believes that, above all, much more interest in Latin American and Africa countries should be put.
Mozaffaian sees this as a real epidemic and considers that, “as a species, we need to address the problem of sugary drinks.” Now, as with almost everything, the study emphasizes the high and constant consumption of this type of drinks, since under normal conditions, a sporadic soda (without being healthy), is a whim that we can afford.
In the end, the study does not want to focus on individual responsibility, but in a collective that involves governments and health systems. And, perhaps, at the most complex: The industry that creates that type of drinks.
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