Diabetes and Obesity are major health concerns being faced in the modern world. One of the main reasons for getting affected by diabetes is high consumption of sugar. Recent research has found that a major portion of sugar being consumed comes from Soft drinks. Let us see the details below:
The relation between Soft drinks and Diabetes
Globally, diabetes is the main problem and the main culprit is added sugars. About 43% of the added sugars that we consume come from sweetened beverages. Research shows that soft drinks contain about eight teaspoons of sugar content in it. With increased consumption of soft beverages in the US, Europe and Asia, diabetes has become a common disease among them. The research also shows that type II diabetes and obesity have a high correlation to the consumption of soft drinks.
Type II diabetes is so widely prevalent and such a serious disease that about 4.8 million of those infected by diabetes die each year. About 20% of the total population is obese in nature.
How do Soft drinks trigger Diabetes?
The soft drinks contain sugar in the form of high-fructose corn syrup. On consuming soft drinks, the fructose gets rapidly converted to glucose in the body. This results in a sudden increase in blood glucose levels in the body. This leads to a burst of insulin to be released in the body. This frequent spike of insulin results in type 2 diabetes in the body.
How much Sugar are we consuming?
It has been found on an average, each person consumes about 17 teaspoons of sugar daily. The US is the largest consumer of sugar and sweeteners. The people in the US are consuming about 40 teaspoons of sugar daily. About 34% of the US population is obese, the highest rate of obesity. The people in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, and Mexico are consuming about 35 to 38 teaspoons of sugar daily. China is one country where people take low sugar content, about seven spoons a day.
If you have the habit of drinking one soft drink per day, you are 22 per cent more likely to get type 2 diabetes.
Recommended Sugar Consumption levels
The recommended sugar consumption level indicates that men should not consume more than six teaspoons of sugar and women, not more than nine teaspoons of sugar.
As we start consuming more sugar, the BMI tends to increase and the desire to consume more sugar increases drastically. On the contrary, as we start cutting down on sugar consumption, our BMI comes under control and the desire for sugar consumption decreases. It is necessary for us to cut down on sugar consumption level and practice our body so that less sugar is consumed.
Does increased consumption of Fruit Juice increase the risk of Diabetes?
On reading the above article details and coming to know the risk of consuming soft drinks, the question that comes to our mind immediately is: Does increased consumption of fruit juices increase the risk of getting infected by Diabetes. The answer is No. It is always good to consume pure fruit juice and diluted fruit juice. This does not increase the risk of diabetes.
What should we do?
The habits have changed in such a drastic manner that many people are having soft drinks as part of a daily diet. This is a really bad habit and needs to be changed. The soft drinks companies in some companies are so aggressive that they have offered soft drinks at a cheaper rate compared to water. We need to remember that only water needs to be consumed in plenty daily and not soft drinks. While it is ok to have soft drinks occasionally, it should never become a daily habit.
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