How Drinking One Soda A Day Can Affect The Risk Of Stroke
Everyone should know that no matter what you eat or drink, it should always be consumed in moderation. This term "moderation" can lend itself to a wide interpretation. At what point is something no longer moderate? Once a day? Once a week? Once a month? According to the study1 performed by the American Society for Nutrition, consuming one sugar-sweetened soda a day can drastically raise the likelihood of suffering a stroke.
In the study, 84,085 women were studied for 28 years while 43,371 men were studied for 22 years. During these time periods, 2,938 women suffered a stroke and for the men, 1,416. To gauge the effects, instead of sugar-sweetened drinks, some individuals were given decaffeinated coffee and others caffeinated coffee. The decaf group had a 10% lower risk of stroke and the caffeinated group experienced a 9% lower risk. Similar increased risks were found for those that consumed a low-calorie soda (diet) instead of the sugar-sweetened version.
The study concluded that consuming sugar-sweetened or low-calorie soda was associated with a higher risk of stroke. This is particularly interesting because it does not matter if it is regular or diet, the risk for stroke is the same. Of course there are other factors to consider like calorie consumption and weight gain but this study shows that it is best to remove all types of soda from the diet. So the next time you're thirsty, grab a nice refreshing glass of water.
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1Soda consumption and the risk of stroke in men and women - http://www.ajcn.org/content/early/2012/04/03/ajcn.111.030205.abstract