An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but according to recent research, a cola a day puts you at a higher risk for developing diabetes. Even if it’s a diet soda.
Liquid sugar has long been thought to be a driver for skyrocketing diabetes rates in the United States, which have nearly tripled over the past 30 years. Mirroring that increase, consumption of sodas and other sugary drinks has doubled, according to the National Institutes of Health. At the same time, obesity rates have doubled for American adults, tripled for adolescents and nearly quadrupled for children ages 6-11.
So, is there a direct link?
The short answer: A growing number of research says “yes.” The sugary drinks, which provide almost all of their calories via sugar in liquid form, are quickly absorbed in our bodies. Much longer than it takes to convert solid sugars in, say, a candy bar, liquid sugars reach our bloodstream in as little as 20 minutes, leading to a spike in blood sugar. The quick, repeated spikes can prod our bodies to transform the sugar into fat, a key component in the development of type 2 diabetes.
According to an ever-increasing amount of research, moderation may not help. One study looked at people who reported only drinking one or two sodas a day. It found the same group showed a 26 percent higher risk for diabetes than those who eschew sugary drinks. Also, among those who drank soda daily for six months increased their liver fat by up to 150 percent – more than doubling their natural levels.
Diet drinks may then seem like a solution, but more and more studies are finding equal cause for concern for the drinks that are sweetened with chemicals like saccharin or aspartame. A recent decade-long study of 25,000 adults aged 40-80 in England found diabetes rates among diet soda drinkers and those that consumed sugary drinks were roughly on par with each other. (Researchers conducting the study were quick to point out diabetes rates for the “unsweetened” group may be linked to other factors, however.)
Diabetes costs continue to spiral as much as incidence. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. spends an estimated $250 billion a year on the fight, with the vast majority spent on direct medical costs. About a quarter of that sum is spent on indirect costs associated with lost productivity, disability and premature death.
The solution, experts say, is drinking more water and drinks without sweetener, like tea, or really anything but soda. It’s recommended that adults’ caloric intake should be around 2,000 calories a day, with a maximum of 130 calories coming from sugar. A single 12-ounce serving of non-diet soda tags in at around 140 calories, already exceeding recommendations.
