Can Diabetics Drink Cool Sugary Drinks?

According to a recent study that was released in the journal The BMJ, drinking sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with a higher risk of dying before your time among adults with type 2 diabetes.

The study specifically examined people with Type 2 diabetes beverage intake. Despite the fact that numerous earlier research has connected beverage consumption to health outcomes like cardio-metabolic health, weight change, and mortality, such studies have mostly involved the general population.

Weight gain, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, diabetes, dental issues, and depression can all be caused by added sugars in your diet, which are sugars that aren't found naturally in unprocessed foods like fruit. Additionally, studies have shown that drinking beverages with added sugars may be particularly harmful to your health. These beverages have been related to colorectal and liver cancer. 

In the most recent study, 15,486 persons with type 2 diabetes who participated in a long-term general health study had their beverage intake examined. The participants completed a thorough food frequency questionnaire, which they updated every two to four years, to record their dietary intake.

 The chance of dying from any cause overtime was the key outcome that intrigued the researchers. They also looked at whether participants developed cardiovascular disease or passed away from it.

Sugar-sweetened beverages are associated with a higher risk of death

There was some overlap between these two groups during the average follow-up period of 18.5 years: 7,638 individuals (49.3%) died, and 3,447 participants (22.3%) got cardiovascular disease. The researchers examined people with the lowest and greatest intakes of various beverages after controlling for a broad variety of variables other than beverage consumption that are known to increase the risk of passing away or developing cardiovascular disease (such as age, health status, and body measurements). 

They discovered that participants with the highest intake had 20% higher mortality rates for sugar-sweetened beverages, 26% lower mortality rates for coffee, 21% lower mortality rates for tea, 23% lower mortality rates for plain water, and 12% lower mortality rates for low-fat milk compared to participants with the lowest intake.

 Artificially sweetened drinks, fruit juice, and full-fat milk were the beverages for which there was a statistically negligible change in death risk, which means it may have been the result of pure chance.

Study follow-up:

When it comes to cardiovascular disease and death from cardiovascular disease, the researchers discovered comparable tendencies. Particularly, over the follow-up period, sugar-sweetened beverages were connected to a 25% higher risk of getting cardiovascular disease and a 29% higher chance of dying from cardiovascular disease. 

However, switching to artificially sweetened beverages, coffee, tea, or plain water was found to result in a reduced risk of passing away over time compared to sticking with sugar-sweetened beverages. Following a diabetes diagnosis, those who increased their coffee drinking had a lower long-term mortality rate.

The researchers came to the conclusion that switching to or upping your intake of coffee, in particular, may help lower your chance of dying over time. People with diabetes may find that sugar-sweetened beverages are particularly detrimental to longevity.

People with diabetes need to take special care with their hydration. Health benefits can be obtained by switching from sugar-sweetened beverages to healthier options.

Also read:  Alcohol Reduces Blood Pressure, But Not Type 2 Diabetes -Study Shows