A team of researchers say that one fizzy beverage a day will lead to heart-related prolems. The Karolinska Institute in Stockholm study says daily drinking of the beverage can raise the heart attack risk by 23 per cent. A further analysis, excluding people diagnosed with heart failure in the first five years, showed the link still held true.
The researchers warned that because it was an observational study, no conclusion could be drawn to say sweetened drinks definitely caused heart failure. Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages could lead to weight gain because the liquid calories are not filling, and so people don’t reduce their food intake at subsequent meals.
They stressed that the study only involved older white men and the findings may not be applicable to younger age groups, women or certain ethnic groups.
In an accompanying editorial, Spanish professors Miguel Martinez-Gonzalez and Miguel Ruiz-Canela said people who drink a lot of sweetened drinks often have a poor diet overall, which is more of a determinant of ill-health than any one component.
