Soft Drinks Increase Risk of Metabolic Syndrome
We know that the consumption of soft drinks has been linked to obesity in children and adolescents, but it is unclear whether it increases metabolic risk in middle-aged individuals.
Metabolic Syndrome includes a variety of conditions linked to an increased risk of heart disease including high blood pressure, low counts of good cholesterol, high sugar levels, and high amounts of fatty acids.
One study suggests that middle-aged adults may have up to a 40% higher risk of developing Metabolic Syndrome from drinking more than one soft drink per day. What researchers found most interesting, however, was that it didn’t matter if it was regular or diet. They found that the dietary habits of both types of soft drinkers was the same; people who drink more soft drinks are known to also eat more high-calorie, high-fat food and exercise less. The study was a segment of the ongoing Framington Heart Study by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, and involved nearly 8,000 people.
What does this study mean for you? I have always felt that the more natural our diets are the better. And this includes the intake of diet sodas. I will admit that I love a good cherry coke when I’m eating out. However, I probably average one or two a month. And I have never been able to switch over to the diet versions of any foods. I feel that sugar replacements are an unnatural food that I prefer to avoid.
So, for you, if you drink any type of soda, what can you do to cut them down? If you drink diet soda thinking it will help you lose weight, ask yourself just how much weight have you lost on them! Many people actually have an addiction to diet sodas and do not lose weight.
Then look at what types of foods are you eating. Can you increase your intake of fruits and vegetables? I challenge you to add one new fruit or veggie to your diet each week between now and Easter. Then, if you have been successful, keep going until summer! You would be surprised to see what happens to your weight if you did such a thing.
To read the abstract of this study, go to:
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jul2007/nhlbi-23.htm
Metabolic Syndrome includes a variety of conditions linked to an increased risk of heart disease including high blood pressure, low counts of good cholesterol, high sugar levels, and high amounts of fatty acids.
One study suggests that middle-aged adults may have up to a 40% higher risk of developing Metabolic Syndrome from drinking more than one soft drink per day. What researchers found most interesting, however, was that it didn’t matter if it was regular or diet. They found that the dietary habits of both types of soft drinkers was the same; people who drink more soft drinks are known to also eat more high-calorie, high-fat food and exercise less. The study was a segment of the ongoing Framington Heart Study by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, and involved nearly 8,000 people.
What does this study mean for you? I have always felt that the more natural our diets are the better. And this includes the intake of diet sodas. I will admit that I love a good cherry coke when I’m eating out. However, I probably average one or two a month. And I have never been able to switch over to the diet versions of any foods. I feel that sugar replacements are an unnatural food that I prefer to avoid.
So, for you, if you drink any type of soda, what can you do to cut them down? If you drink diet soda thinking it will help you lose weight, ask yourself just how much weight have you lost on them! Many people actually have an addiction to diet sodas and do not lose weight.
Then look at what types of foods are you eating. Can you increase your intake of fruits and vegetables? I challenge you to add one new fruit or veggie to your diet each week between now and Easter. Then, if you have been successful, keep going until summer! You would be surprised to see what happens to your weight if you did such a thing.
To read the abstract of this study, go to:
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jul2007/nhlbi-23.htm
posted by Margie Geiser, MBA, RD, NSCA-CPT at
5:59 AM
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