2 cans of sugar or diet soda a day increase heart risk by 23%
Nick McDermott reports for The Sun (UK), Nov. 2, 2015, that a new research by scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that men who have two daily servings of sweetened soft drinks were 23% more likely to suffer heart failure. The findings cover both drinks made with sugar and those containing sweeteners, such as Diet Coke or Pepsi Max.
The scientists tracked the health of 42,400 males over 12 years — but warned the findings may also apply equally to women.
The British Heart Foundation reminded people to “be aware” of how much sugar they consumed in drinks. Researcher Dr. Susanna Larsson said people should consider reducing consumption of sweetened drinks to lower the risk of heart failure. Soft drinks have previously also been linked to high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke.
British Soft Drinks Association chief Gavin Partington insisted that the research was “limited” and that other factors such as lack of exercise were key risks.
Dr. Carol Cooper warns that drinks with artificial sweeteners could be harmful as they encourage sweet-snacking. But it is not clear if the harmful effects are down to the drinks themselves or the lifestyle that goes with them.
Meanwhile, the Mirror reports on Nov. 4, 2015, that an inquest into the death of Victoria Lane, a 38-year-old British woman who drank 8 litres of sugarless Pepsi Max a day, determined that she had died from “excessive consumption” of caffeine from Pepsi Max, which reacted with prescription drugs she was taking.
Lane would drink up to four two-litre bottles of the fizzy drink every day in an effort to help her combat a dry mouth from taking prescription drugs. Lane had struggled with depression and paranoia for many years and turned to alcohol to cope – at times downing a litre of vodka a day, using the pepsi as a mixer.
Hugh Hefner reportedly chain-drinks diet Pepsi, up to 30 cans a day. How come he’s still alive at age 89?
Did you know that the active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid? With a pH of 2.8, Coke can dissolve a nail in about four days.Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis. Studies have shown that regular soft drink users have not just a lower intake of calcium, but also magnesium, ascorbic acid, riboflavin, and vitamin A.
For more on the health effects of drinking Coke, see my post “Water or Coke — You Choose“.
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