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Soda Consumption Linked To Higher Stroke Risk

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Soda Consumption Linked To Higher Stroke Risk

Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Institute and Harvard University, have made new discoveries on the effects that soda consumption has on the human body. It seems that increased consumption of sweetened beverages increases the risk of stroke. Unlike soda, coffee is associated with a decreased risk of stroke because it contains antioxidants (magnesium, chlorogenic acid). The fact that soda has many harmful effects on the body is already a well-known fact. In fact, cola has no benefit to offer for the body, because it is energy dense and low nutritional . It is not a new thing that soda and sweetened drinks cause weight gain and can even lead to obesity by high caloric intake.

soda can

soda can

Adam Bernstein, MD, Sc.D., study author and Research Director at the Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Institute, says that soda remains the leading source of added sugar in our diet. Moreover, weight gain is itself a factor for other cardiovascular disorders. In addition, some light drinks are sweetened with fructose corn syrup  which is more obesogenic and  has even more harmful effects for vessels and heart. Although they have fewer calories, it seems that light drinks can also lead to weight gain. Due to the excess sugar that it contains, soda may contribute to diabetes as the pancreas is overloaded.

Apart from that, soda can cause hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, gout, etc.. Dr. Bernstein notes that in the last three decades in U.S. soda consumption has increased dramatically and this has important effects on our health. Other harmful effects of soda are related to the caffeine it contains, which may cause sleeplessness, tremors and palpitations. Also, soda has a demineralization effect on teeth due to the acid pH.

The study, published recently in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, is the first to analyze the link between soda consumption and stroke risk. The study involved 43,371 men and 84,085 women who were followed over a period of nearly 20 years. The researchers found that during the study, nearly 3,000 women and 1,500 men died after a stroke diagnosis. Interesting to note is that the stoke risk was higher in women than men. Stroke occurs due to the effects of hyperglycemia that induces atherosclerosis. Due to the excess sugar in the blood , soda initially causes a hypersecretion of insulin, which eventually leads to insulin resistance. All these changes indicate the gradual formation of atherosclerosis  that contribute to the stroke episode. Researchers also found that people who drank regular soda also had a generally unhealthy lifestyle with a diet based on fatty foods and red meat.