Study: Sugary Drinks Responsible for 184,000 Deaths a Year
The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is responsible for an estimated 184,000 deaths, globally, each year, according to recent research.
While SSBs are known to contribute to adiposity, little research has been conducted into their impact on burdens of adiposity-related cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.
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In order to further explore this relationship, researchers pooled data from 62 national dietary surveys involving 611,971 participants from 51 countries between 1980-2010. SSBs were defined as any soda, fruit drink, sports drink, energy drink, iced tea, or homemade drinks that contained at least 50 kcal per 8oz serving.
Overall, researchers estimate that SSBs may have been responsible for 133,00 diabetes-related deaths, 45,000 cardiovascular disease-related deaths, and 6450 cancer-related deaths in 2010.
Estimated deaths varied significantly between different populations, ranging from less than 1% of deaths in Japanese individuals over 65 attributed to SSBs and 30% of deaths in Mexican adults over 45 attributed to SSBs.
Mexico had the highest death rate attributed to SSBs with 405 deaths per million adults. The United States came in second, with 125 deaths per million adults.
“SSBs are a single, modifiable component of diet, that can impact preventable death/disability in adults in high, middle, and low-income countries, indicating an urgent need for strong global prevention programs,” they concluded.
—Michael Potts
Reference:
1. Singh GM, Micha R, Khatibzadeh S, et al. Estimated global, regional, and national disease burdens related to sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in 2010. Circulation. June 2015 [epub ahead of print]. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.010636