HHS HealthBeat (January 3, 2012)

A sweet risk

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Nicholas Garlow with HHS HealthBeat.

Sugar-sweetened beverages. Drink more rather than less and your health may suffer. Especially for women. A study observed the health impacts of drinking excessive sugar-sweetened drinks: soda, flavored water, and non-alcoholic beer.

Christina Shay is at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

“There have been lots of studies, including this one, that have shown that higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages can lead to the development of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors.” (8 seconds)

Women who had two or more sugary beverages a day had a four times greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. That’s compared to women who had just one sugary drink a day.

The study presented at the American Heart Associations’ Scientific Sessions 2011 was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Nicholas Garlow.

Last revised: January 3, 2012