Sugary Drinks, Fruit Juices and Mortality

We all know that sugary sodas and soft drinks are good for us, but deep down many of us probably still associate “healthy” with fruit juices. And, chances are that even though you might know that these sugar-laden drinks aren’t good for you, you may not realize how bad they are for you.

Recent studies have shown that an increased risk of overall death mortality (no one specific cause) is linked to the consumption of sugary drinks, whether soda pop or fruit juices. In other words, those that consumed sugary drinks were more likely to die. The risk factor increases significantly when sugary drink consumption and obesity are both factors.

It is interesting that the studies emphasized the real dangers of sugary drinks and not sugar or sugary foods in general.

Drinks versus foods, it is an important difference.

While noted that the reduction of sugar in your diet is a very good thing, the worst offender to your health can be found in these sugary drinks, not the added sugars in foods or even that occasional cupcake. 

There are several reasons why this may be so: 

1. First and foremost is that sugar in foods takes longer to process into the body and blood stream. The fact that there are other ingredients, fats and such, means that the sugar metabolizes into your body slower and so has a lessened impact on insulin surges.
2. One tends to not fill up on sugary drinks the way that solid foods can fill us up. And so, you are more likely to keep loading up on the sugar and calories, overconsuming, rather than slowing down as you would with solid foods.
3. There is very little, if any, nutritional value in sugary drinks–including fruit juices. They are mostly sugar with trace amounts of vitamins and minerals. And as to sugar, it might surprise you to know that many of those fruit juices on the market shelf have more sugar content per glass than Coca-Cola!! 

Sugary Drinks and the Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

A study was conducted by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to see if there was a connection between higher daily sugar consumption and CVD (cardiovascular disease). 

Some interesting results were found: 

1. Sugar intake has increased significantly amongst the average US population. The main source of that increase was from sugar-sweetened beverages.
2. They observed a significant relationship between sugar consumption and increased risk for CVD death
3. That most US adults consume more than the recommended daily intake of sugar.

( https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1819573)

And just to drive this point home, there was an extensive study published in 2015 that dug into the relationship of sugary drinks and global disease. They linked the consumption of these sugar-sweetened beverages to over 180,000 deaths annually across the globe. And in the States, it was estimated that over 25,000 American deaths were a part of this group. 

(http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/132/8/639)

A Simple Step to Lowering Your Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Living Longer

Long journeys all start with one step. Eliminating all sugars from your diet is not only hard but it can be a self-defeating goal, one that is so tough that you just might not even try. So, here is your start, and it is an easy one. Eliminate the worst offender with the highest risk factor, sugary drinks–including fruit juices. Your heart, your family and your future will thank you for it.

Closing note: don’t make the mistake of switching to diet drinks as these are loaded with chemicals that will not do your body good. Today you can find a wide range of more natural sweeteners, such as stevia or xylitol, and these can even be found in some really yummy soft drinks. Or make your own concoction with stevia drops, flavoring and soda water.