Swapping a sugary beverage for an artificially sweetened drink, fruit juice, tea or coffee can reduce the risk of diabetes by a hefty 25 percent, according to a new study.
The study, which was published in the journal Diabetologia, observed the food diaries of 25,000 men and women aged 40 to 79 in Norfolk, England, which were compiled more than 10 years ago.
During the 11 years of follow-up research, 847 people were diagnosed with a new type-2 diabetes, a condition seen as an increasing risk for ageing population, increasing the probability of nerve damage, heart attack and other heart diseases. The researchers found there was a higher risk of diabetes associated with drinking sugary soft drinks and sweetened milk drinks, but not with those that have artificial sweeteners, fruit juice or sweetened tea or coffee, as reported by The Guardian.
According to researchers, substitution of one soft drink for water or unsweetened tea or coffee reduced the risk of diabetes by 14 percent, and swapping sweetened milk drink for unsweetened tea or coffee could reduce it by 22 to 25 percent.
[quote text_size=”small” author=”– Dr. Nita Forouhi” author_title=”Leader of Medical Research Council’s epidemiology unit at Cambridge University and lead researcher of the study”]
The good news is that our study provides practical suggestions for healthy alternative drinks which can help the prevention of diabetes.
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The findings in this study further back the recommendation from the World Health Organization, to limit the intake of free sugars in our diet.
[quote text_size=”small” author=”– Tom Sanders” author_title=”Professor at King’s College London”]
Soft drinks are associated with fast food outlets compared to water, tea and fruit juice – which are associated with a healthy lifestyle. (…) As the risk of diabetes is associated with weight gain, it makes sense to replace high-calorie beverages with those with fewer calories.
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In other health and nutrition news here on Immortal News, an unrelated study suggests that the consumption of potassium rich foods is more important than a low-salt diet. More on this story here.
