Sugar-sweetened drinks, cardiovascular problems linked
Men who drink one sugar-sweetened drink per day have a 20 percent higher risk of coronary heart disease than men who drink none, new US study suggests.
A health data review of about 43,000 US men demonstrated that those who drank one 12-oz. sugary beverage every day had a 20 percent more likely to develop cardiovascular problems.
“This study provides strong evidence that higher consumption of sugary beverages is an important risk factor for heart disease,” said senior researcher Dr. Frank Hu of the Harvard School of Public Health.
”Even moderate consumption -- one soda per day -- is associated with a 20 percent [increased] risk.”
Results did not link heart disease and drinking sugary beverages for at most twice a week, researchers reported in the journal Circulation.
No higher heart risk was detected among men who used to consume artificially sweetened drinks but the study did not look at their other hazards.
The new study “provides strong justification for reducing sugary beverage consumption among patients, and more importantly, in the general population," concluded Dr. Hu, who further warned about the association between consuming sugar and the growing epidemic of obesity and diabetes and their cardiovascular consequences.
Researchers emphasize that their study which just focused on men doesn’t mean that the findings cannot be applied to women.
Previous investigations had tied sugary drinks with several health conditions such as heart disease, hypertension and stroke.
Source: presstv.ir
