A soda a day increases diabetes risk by 22 percent

Just one sugary drink per day is enough to put you in dangerous diabetes territory, a new study suggests.

People who consumed 12 ounces of soda each day had a significantly higher risk - about 22 percent - for developing type 2 diabetes, researchers report. Using data from 28,500 people in Britain, Germany, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain and France, scientists studied the subjects' drinking habits for 15 years.

Since 12 ounces is about the size of a can of soda, the implications of the study are worrisome for countries like the US, where soda consumption, while on the decline, is still considered a major nutritional health issue when looking at rates of diabetes and obesity. The study's results also suggest the problem is on the rise in other parts of the world.

"Given the increase in sweet beverage consumption in Europe, clear messages on the unhealthy effect of these drinks should be given to the population," said study author Dora Romaguera, from Imperial College London.

The consumption of pure or diluted fruit juice was not linked to an increased diabetes risk.

When researchers accounted for total calorie intake and BMI, the diabetes risk for participants who drank soda once a day dropped to 18 percent. But because the drop was so minimal, researchers say it proves that the soda-diabetes link goes beyond the impact the beverage has on body weight.

The findings are similar to other US studies that have found soda consumption to be linked to an increased risk of chronic diseases, like obesity and diabetes, the researchers said in a press release.

The study is published in the journal Diabetologia.

Source: US News Health