Excess sugar intake is linked to many health problems. Recent research has shown that high sugar intake can greatly increase heart disease risk, and a new MRI technique even confirmed that cancer cells feed on sugar.
“A piece of fruit, or even a treat like ice cream, isn’t going to cause you too much trouble… provided it truly is just that – a treat and not something that you overindulge in,” says Dr. Joseph Mercola, a leading health expert and physician. “Most Americans, however, are overindulging – and that’s putting it mildly. The average American consumes one-third of a pound of sugar per day, half of which is processed fructose.”
According to new research from the Tufts University, sugary drinks are linked to high death tolls worldwide. Consumption of sugar drinks like soda are responsible for an estimated 184,000 adult deaths each year.
“Many countries in the world have a significant number of deaths occurring from a single dietary factor, sugar-sweetened beverages. It should be a global priority to substantially reduce or eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages from the diet,” said Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., Dr.P.H., senior author of the study and dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University in Boston.
In the first detailed global report on the effects of sugary drinks, researchers made an estimation on annual adult deaths due to diabetes, heart disease and cancers. The beverages included in the study included soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, and sweetened iced-tea. 100 percent fruits juice was not included.
The research team estimate that sugar-sweetened beverages accounted for the following:
• 133,000 deaths from diabetes
• 45,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease
• 6,450 deaths from cancer
[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”#228B22″ class=”” size=”16″]”Some population dietary changes, such as increasing fruits and vegetables, can be challenging due to agriculture, costs, storage, and other complexities. This is not complicated. There are no health benefits from sugar-sweetened beverages, and the potential impact of reducing consumption is saving tens of thousands of deaths each year,” Mozaffarian said. [/pullquote]
The study showing that sugary drinks are linked to high death tolls worldwide was published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation.
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REFERENCES:
1. “High Sugar Diet Makes You Stupid.” Mercola.com. Mercola.com, n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2015.
2. “Sugary Drinks Linked to High Death Tolls Worldwide.” Tufts University. Tufts University, 29 June 2015. Web. 10 Aug. 2015.
3. “Estimated Global, Regional, and National Disease Burdens Related to Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption in 2010.” Circulation. American Heart Association, 29 June 2015. Web. 10 Aug. 2015.
