Added sugars raise risk of myocardial infarction, cardiovascular disease, and stroke
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TUESDAY, Sept. 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages can seriously damage cardiovascular health, a new review finds. The report was published in the Oct. 6 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
The added sugar in sodas, fruit drinks, sweet teas, and energy drinks affects the body in ways that increase risk of myocardial infarction, cardiovascular disease, and stroke, review author Vasanti Malik, Sc.D., a nutrition research scientist at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, told HealthDay.
Consuming one or two servings a day of sugar-sweetened beverages has been linked to a 35 percent greater risk of myocardial infarction or fatal cardiovascular disease, a 16 percent increased risk of stroke, and as much as a 26 percent increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the report concluded.
“Reducing the consumption of these drinks, it’s not going to solve the heart disease epidemic, but it’s one step that can have a measurable impact,” Malik said. “It’s not the only thing that needs to be done, but it’s a very important thing.”