#Health - Soft drinks kill 184,000 adults every year - Study finds

133,000 deaths from diabetes, 45,000 deaths from cardiovascular
disease and 6,450 deaths from cancer were caused by fizzy drinks,
fruit drinks, energy drinks and sweetened ice teas in 2010.

The dangers of fizzy, sugary drinks have once again been highlighted
as scientists have said they kill 184,000 adults every year.

It further said those under 45 consume more artificially sweetened
drinks and are more at risk of diabetes and obesity.

According to Telegraph , the worldwide study is the first to estimate
deaths and disability from diabetes, heart disease, and cancers caused
by the drinks.

It added that 133,000 deaths from diabetes, 45,000 deaths from
cardiovascular disease and 6,450 deaths from cancer were caused by
fizzy drinks, fruit drinks, energy drinks and sweetened ice teas in
2010.

The study did not include pure fruit juices and all drinks had at least 50
kcal per eight US ounces (0.23 litres) serving or just over two thirds
of a standard pop can.

According to Dr Dariush Mozaffarian , Dean of the Friedman School of
Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston said "many
countries in the world have a significant number of deaths occurring
from a single dietary factor, sugar-sweetened beverages"
She therefore said it should be a global priority to substantially reduce
or eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages from the diet as there are no
health benefits from them.

The study based its estimates of consumption from 62 dietary surveys
including 611,971 individuals conducted between 1980 and 2010 across
51 countries, along with data on national availability of sugar in 187
countries and other information.

Based on meta-analyses of other published evidence on health harms of
sugar-sweetened beverages, it calculated the direct impact on
diabetes and the obesity-related effects on cardiovascular disease,
diabetes and cancer.

It found sugar drinks caused more deaths in Mexico with 405 deaths
per million adults equal to 24,000 total deaths followed by the US with
an estimated 125 deaths per million adults or 25,000 total deaths.

Japan also came in with the estimated percentage of deaths less than
1% of over 65 years old, but 30% in Mexican adults under 45.

Three quarters of all deaths are linked to developing countries.
Younger adults were however more at risk of chronic illnesses than
older people.

The study which was published in the journal, Circulation, raised
concern on the health impact of sugar-sweetened beverage intake on
the young as younger adults form a large sector of the workforce in
many countries.

Source - PunchNG

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