It doesn't matter if it's sugary or diet: New study links all soda to an early death

[mahatmakanejeeves]

It doesn't matter if it's sugary or diet: New study links all soda to an early death

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[Dennis Donovan]

1. Isn't it safe to assume that if you drink that much soda a day, you're not living healthy overall?

[katmondoo]

3. I never drank soda, even as a small child I did not like it. I will be 90 in November

There must be something worse in soda than just sugar.

[lame54]

6. You are lucky...

It's easy to skip something you don't like
To me soda is wonderful
I rarely drink it now because of how bad ot is for me but i treat myself sometime - it's sooooo good

I tried smoking when i was 15
I'm not a smoker now because I didn't like it then
For that I feel lucky

[shanti]

15. Maybe it's your generation?

Mother is 87 and never drinks soda either. She really never did. She does like buttermilk though!

[Polybius]

35. It's definitely his generation

My generation (X) was the worst. Every kid drank it in the 80's.

[former9thward]

20. Individual anecdotal evidence means nothing.

Winston Churchill smoked 10-20 cigars everyday, drank unbelievable amounts of liquor everyday and was very overweight. He lived to 90. Should we all follow his example?

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Probably...

Read this last night in WaPo...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/04/it-doesnt-matter-if-its-sugary-or-diet-new-study-links-all-soda-an-early-death/

Murphy said that he cannot rule out the possibility that the artificially sweetened positive associations were influenced by unhealthy individuals switching to artificially sweetened soft drinks.

“We recognize that a possible explanation for the positive associations found for artificially sweetened soft drinks is that participants who were already at greater health risk (those who were overweight or obese; those with prediabetes) may have switched to artificially sweetened soft drinks to manage their calorie and sugar intake,” he said in an email.

The good news? Researchers found no link between soft-drink consumption and overall cancer death or deaths from Alzheimer’s disease.

[Iwasthere]

2. I would hope that every one in here knows that

[Johnny2X2X]

4. Sugar tricks your body

Sugar tricks your body into thinking it's still hungry when it's not and into storing fat. It's been shown that artificial sweeteners in diet sodas act in much the same way.

I really crave that carbonation at lunch, wish there were better fountain drink options, but I have 1 diet coke fountain drink (about 16 ozs) 5 times a week.

[leftyladyfrommo]

9. Oh oh. Better buy your coffin.

Actually my mother drank regular coke all the time because it helped with her migraines.

She died at 94.

I would guess that all the saturated fat in meat and dairy is probably worse for you. That is what clogs up all your veins and arteries.

[Johnny2X2X]

17. Thanks for the anecdote

We have a country with an obesity crisis and we actually have less fat in our diets than we used to. Added sugar in our food supply coincides with the explosion of obesity.

[tman]

31. That's one of the biggest prevailing myths in modern nutrition

..that saturated fat clogs arteries. Thankfully that's changing.

[leftyladyfrommo]

59. That's not what cardiologists are saying.

I know that the keto people believe that but there is no long term science to back that up. Everything I have listened to says the long term effects of saturated fat are clogged everything. Short term is all right. And there are times that diet us helpful. But not long term. Unless someone has epilepsy or something like that. There was not one nutritionist or cardiologist or internist who that saturated fat was ok. It affects the liver and the fall bladder and the arteries and veins. It affects the pancreas. Just about everything.

One of the studies I read said that it is fat that makes you fat. Sugar does other bad things but it doesn't make you fat. But fat is what makes you fat.

I have had liver problems and the liver has to process all that saturated fat and that is very hard on your liver.

I saw a picture of blood before and after eating saturated fat and the blood just gets saturated with fat. It gets cloudy with fat.

I had to study this a lot when I was having liver problems but I am not a nutritionist and I don't claim to be.

[tman]

65. There are many cardiologists who dispute this hypothesis

and their number is growing. I'm not Keto. I was vegan for 2 years so I've been on both sides and try to research nutrition objectively. The science against saturated fat is shockingly weak to say the least, and that's before we get to the deeply flawed epidemiological data.

There's a host of evidence to suggest that sugar does indeed make us store more fat and is outright toxic to every organ in our body. You should check out the work of Gary Taubes to start. Cardiologist Aseem Malhotra is another guy worth looking into.

Trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, sugar and refined vegetable oils are the real issues of our time, not the saturated fats humans have been eating for hundreds of thousands of years.

[marybourg]

53. If it's really the carbonation you crave,

rather than the sugar, how about seltzer?

[GoCubsGo]

55. Yeah, I was just about to suggest that, as well.

I was hooked on Diet Coke for decades, until I realized it was really the carbonation that I liked. Seltzer got me unhooked. Lots of good flavored varieties out there.

[OhZone]

7. I searched for the words -

clear and seltzer and they weren't listed in the article - sooooo ---

Maybe not ALL?

I'll try to stick to seltzer. And you should too!

[dkhbrit]

8. Once again you're not reading the report properly

There is no proof of causation in this study. None.

A glass of orange juice contains as much sugar as a glass of cola. It's also acidic. Neither is bad for you if consumed in moderation.

[rainin]

10. Incorrect. A glass or two of orange juice daily leads to fatty liver disease.

Definitely bad for you.

[jcgoldie]

12. Thats why I cut my OJ with STOLI!

[former9thward]

24. Here is a study showing orange juice combats fatty liver in mice.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3413058/

Scientific studies on food that contradict each other. Imagine that! I'll bet that has never happened before!

[rainin]

37. Mice fed juice of orange.

This study, though VERY interesting, doesn't speak to the consequences of 1-2 glasses of orange juice daily. If you want an orange, eat the fruit, not the concentrated juice of many oranges.

[uponit7771]

42. got it, the stuff in cartons and cans is processed the orange fruit itself are not

[sir pball]

62. Even pure fresh squeezed juice is pretty bad.

Speaking from experience, it's about 2 oranges per 8oz of juice. So two 8oz glasses is 4 oranges a day. 2 "normal" pint glasses (really, who keeps 8oz glasses anymore?) is 8 oranges a day. That's a lot of sugar, regardless of the other good stuff that's in it.

I mostly drink water, myself. 4-6 quarts a day- it's easy if you have a quart bottle and just keep it full.

[rainin]

11. It was hard to break my soda habit, but I'm glad I did.

Been free for over 10 years. That stuff is seriously addictive. I absolutely won't touch it now.

[smirkymonkey]

21. I quit Diet Coke and Diet Ginger Ale about 6 months ago.

Now I just drink water, cold-brewed unsweetened iced tea and as a treat every once in a while, Spindrift flavored seltzer waters made with a little bit of real fruit and no sugar or artificial sweeteners. It's so refreshing and delicious! A little expensive, but worth it if you only have it every once in a while. https://spindriftfresh.com/

I didn't think I would be able to quit soda either but now I don't even think about it. I quit coffee about a year ago and don't miss that either.

[MLAA]

29. You are on a roll! Just don't quit DU!

I use to drink lots of Diet Coke. Have it down to 2 diet Ginger Ales a day, working to go to one. Also been increasing my water intake a lot to help.

[smirkymonkey]

30. No, can't quit DU! Too addicted!

[Blue_true]

40. I drink soda occasionally.

My approximate intake? Maybe a sixpack every four months. I like the change in pace. I don't regularly drink anything but water, I drink juice on occasion, mostly nectars.

I did not make a effort to go away from soda pop, it just happened naturally.

[YOHABLO]

13. Ice Tea? I love my ice tea, and sweetened at that with lots of ice. But only a glass or two.

It has flavonoids and polyphenols. Anti cancer, anti inflammation.

[Codeine]

22. I always drank it sweetened as a kid,

but once I tried it plain I discovered it was still delicious. A splash of lemon juice makes it even better.

Oddly though, I still sweeten my hot tea.

[YOHABLO]

58. I lived in Scotland for a couple years and never understood why the Brits put milk in their tea.

Then one day a lady offered me a hot tea with milk and it was delicious. Considering their tea is strong, it can be addictive. I get why they add the milk.

[shanti]

14. And all this soda drinking

really took off in the boomer generation, hence the numbers of us dying early. At least, that's my conclusion. I wasn't raised to drink sweet beverages with dinner. We always had milk. But when I left home, all I wanted to drink was Coke, until I got the 'betes in my 50's. Then it was Diet Coke.

Now I prefer water, especially sparkling water. I guess it's just the bubbles. You just can't beat a glass of ice cold water to quench the thirst.

[former9thward]

27. The boomer geneeration is not dying earlier.

They are living longer than their parents. Drink what you want whether its water, soda or an adult beverage.

[NickB79]

16. Until this summer, my wife was drinking 2 LITERS of Coke a day

She's now down to 1 glass every other day, drinking mostly flavored water as a substitute. Her health was not good at all; I pray she can stick to this and not backslide.

[SMC22307]

26. Holy hell, two liters of Coke a day?!

Wow, I drink 1-2 cans of Diet Coke a day and am trying to get it down to just 1. Hope your wife is able to stick to it!

[NickB79]

38. It translated into over 7 pounds of sugar a month from soda alone

She literally drank only soda, from breakfast to bedtime.

I think the math of it, 2 bags of sugar a month just from soda, is what opened her eyes.

[Blue_true]

43. Wow, 2 liters a day? That is a lot. nt

[JCMach1]

18. We didn't really need this study... just everything in moderation

really, that simple

[Blue_true]

45. That is what it all boils down to.

Our body needs everything that we normally eat or drink, it tells us. What it does not need is an over-abundance of anything. Too much "healthy" stuff can be bad long-term, but not as bad as too much bad stuff.

[whistler162]

19. Still less dangerous than

DiHydrogen Monoxide

[MrsCoffee]

25. I hear that stuff accelerates corrosion and causes suffocation.

[Blue_true]

47. That's some scary sounding stuff. nt

[sir pball]

63. Nah, all that hydroxic acid toughens the system!

I drink ~6500mL a day and I usually feel pretty good!

[Codeine]

23. People who drink that much soda

usually have shitty health practices across the board. An active person with a sensible diet isn’t going to be harmed by a can of Coke.

[Skittles]

32. CORRECT

everything in moderation

so tired of the endless blame game: fat, carbs, sugar, eggs, soda...... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[McCamy Taylor]

34. Drink a bottle of Mexican Coke. It's the "real thing" and the glass will not harm you.

Keep in mind how much soda is packed in plastic bottles and how dangerous an acid is inside a plastic bottle where it can leach out all those horrible chemical.

[Codeine]

36. That was my preferred soda back in the day.

These days I drink very little soda, but when I do I avoid Coke because I am employed by a competitor and my company disallows purchasing other brands while in uniform, which is pretty much the only time I shop.

[doc03]

28. A couple years from now some study will determine

soda is good for you. Coffee was bad now it's good. Eggs are ok now. Butter is better than margarine.

[Blue_true]

49. Everything is good in moderation.

Except toxic substances like cyanide, but even some of those were consumed by people at some points on time. Even highly toxic substances will not kill if the consumed amount is well below specific levels and the substance does not collect in the body.

[McCamy Taylor]

33. In the US "sugary" is not sugar. It is corn syrup.

Corn syrup has so many negatives that I cannot list them all. Corn syrup is full of calories but does not register as "food" so it does not make us feel full. You can drink a Big Gulp and still feel hungry. They switched sugar to corn syrup in the early 1980s--just as the obesity epidemic took off.

PS Also plastic bottles for acidic foods and beverages are a really bad idea. If you want a soda, spring for a glass bottle. It will not poison you.

[Blue_true]

50. To get poisoned by leeched plastic or plasticizer from a bottle,

you have to use a shitload of bottles or let the stuff sit in direct sun for a while. My argument is anyone that does that have larger problems to start.

Even corn syrup in moderation works. The body processes it, take what it needs and stores the rest for later use. But corn syrup in excess causes the body to store what it will never use.

[hunter]

39. I wonder how it compares to beer...

[miyazaki]

41. Staring at computer screens leads to early deaths.

Well, probably.

[uponit7771]

44. Dammit !!! Oh well, changing today ... sigh, finish out this last 12 pack though

[NoPasaran]

46. If I can't have a Coke I see no reason in living

[aikoaiko]

48. Sometimes I don't even know why I gave up smoking.

They keep finding new ways that I'm killing myself.

[tymorial]

51. Meh

[Atticus]

52. Heh-heh! Trump reportedly drinks 12 cans of Diet Coke daily. nt

[Generic Brad]

54. So?

We all have to go sometime. I may as well enjoy a Coke Zero once in a while during my shortened stay.

I have already given up pretty much everything - smoking, drinking, food I like just to extend my life a few more years. There are worse things I could do than have a can of soda in the evening.

[Moostache]

56. My thoughts exactly...

EVERYTHING is literally killing you from the time you take your first breath of air (oxygen causes all kinds of aging issues and free radicals and the like). We are all actively dying every minute we are alive, even as your a child developing and growing.

The QUALITY of your life, relationships and interactions is far more important than the pure QUANTITY. This is something that all of us evolve on as well...when we are young and bullet-proof, things seem infinite, and as we begin to lose loved ones and realize the end is nigh for us all, we naturally try to find ways to stave off our on mortality.

To be honest, I just want to live a life that I ENJOY and that rewards my family and loved ones and enriches my friendships. Beyond that, while I don't want to die tomorrow, I plan to live each day as if I will...so give me the ice cold Pepsi Sugar-Free or Coke Zero and once more unto the breach dear friends!

[sir pball]

64. Eat a little of what you like, drink a little of what you want.

My dad is 73, in quite good health, eating pretty well - but he still has a Manhattan a couple times a week, a nice steak a couple times a month...he says "if it means I'll only live another happy ten years, instead of twelve or fifteen without, FUCK IT!"

Funny thing, most of the people in his retirement condos feel the same way.

[underpants]

57. Boy the Times Dispatch really knows how to tease a reader in don't they?

A higher risk of mortality huh?

[OilemFirchen]

60. Damn skippy!

I hear the risk of mortality is now up to 100%! We really suck at living.

[appalachiablue]

61. The sweetner is corn syrup, GMO from Monsanto glyphosate.

Bottoms up