Sugary drinks linked to higher risk of death for people with common health condition
MIAMI - A new study may have you think twice before reaching for a can of soda or a lemonade.
New findings show that drinking high amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages like soda and fruit drinks are linked with a higher risk of death and cardiovascular disease for people with diabetes.
Researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health looked at nearly 20 years of data on nearly 13,000 men and women. The risk of dying prematurely was lower for diabetics who drank beverages like coffee, tea, low-fat milk, and water.
In fact, replacing one daily serving of a sugary drink with a healthier beverage was associated with almost a 20% lower risk of death.
Previous research shows for people in general, drinking sugar-sweetened beverages can lead to weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Researchers say it's critical for people with diabetes to stay hydrated and say switching to healthier beverages could have lifelong benefits. The research also found drinking artificially sweetened beverages had healthier outcomes, but not as much benefit as choosing drinks that are not sweetened.