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New research exposes health risks of fructose, sugary drinks

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entremet

entremet

Member
The case against added sugars continues to mount.

This new study, from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology is showing greater risk of obesity, Type II diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150928144031.htm

There is compelling evidence that drinking too many sugar-sweetened beverages, which contain added sugars in the form of high fructose corn syrup or table sugar (sucrose), can lead to excess weight gain and a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to a new review paper published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The review--the most comprehensive review of the evidence on the health effects of sugar-sweetened beverages to date--also takes a closer look at the unique role fructose may play in the development of these conditions.

"Since we rarely consume fructose in isolation, the major source of fructose in the diet comes from fructose-containing sugars, sucrose and high fructose corn syrup, in sugar-sweetened beverages," according to Frank Hu, MD, PhD, Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and lead investigator of the paper. "Our findings underscore the urgent need for public health strategies that reduce the consumption of these drinks."

Sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup, produced from corn starch, have been widely used in the U.S. as a low-cost alternative to sucrose in foods and beverages. While the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has decreased moderately in the past decade, they are still the single greatest source of added sugar intake in the U.S. diet. In fact, half of the U.S. population consumes these types of drinks every day, with one in four getting at least 200 calories per day from them and 5 percent consuming more than 500 calories per day, which is the equivalent of four cans of soda.

"This is particularly concerning as the research shows that consuming one or more sugar-sweetened beverages a day has been linked to greater weight gain and obesity in numerous published studies," said Hu. "Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages can lead to weight gain because the liquid calories are not filling, and so people don't reduce their food intake at subsequent meals."
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This may be obvious to many, but this type of research is what leads to real change. Same thing happened with tobacco products. The science continued to mount until it reached a breaking point no denial.

Notice this also convicts table sugar (sucrose) not just HFCS.
 
K

Kinitari

Black Canada Mafia
Still boggles my mind when people say that they'd rather drink regular pop over diet because they're not sure aspartame is safe. Maybe studies like this will convince them that, hey.... Maybe switch to diet, or even just drink water if you're that worried.
 
shira

shira

Member
entrement said:
This may be obvious to many, but this type of research is what leads to real change. Same thing happened with tobacco products. The science continued to mount until it reached a breaking point no denial.

Notice this also convicts table sugar (sucrose) not just HFCS.
Click to expand...

IDK man those corn farming HFCS companies are pretty big.

You bring those down Coke tobacco style and you would cripple the US economy
 
O

Obliterator

Member
Kinitari said:
Still boggles my mind when people say that they'd rather drink regular pop over diet because they're not sure aspartame is safe. Maybe studies like this will convince them that, hey.... Maybe switch to diet, or even just drink water if you're that worried.
Click to expand...

Yep, actually diet Soda isn't really that bad for you at all as long as you drink it in moderation. Water is still much healthier but drinking a diet isnt that big of a deal

The killer is regular soda. Its terrible for you.
 
G

gutshot

Member
Kinitari said:
Still boggles my mind when people say that they'd rather drink regular pop over diet because they're not sure aspartame is safe. Maybe studies like this will convince them that, hey.... Maybe switch to diet, or even just drink water if you're that worried.
Click to expand...

I don't drink diet because it tastes like shit.

But I only drink a glass of soda like once a week, so I think I'm fine.
 
M

M52B28

Banned
shira said:
IDK man those corn farming HFCS companies are pretty big.

You bring those down Coke tobacco style and you would cripple the US economy
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This sounds funny. I don't think it will cripple it, but it would do some good damage.
 
S

Stat Flow

He gonna cry in the car
The occasional alcoholic drink or whatever won't kill you, but drinking juice or soda every day is awful. People would be hella healthier if they replaced all instances of the sugary shit with water.

Drink water exclusively. Otherwise unsweetened coffee or Tea.
 
G

gutshot

Member
M52B28 said:
This sounds funny. I don't think it will cripple it, but it would do some good damage.
Click to expand...

If HFCS becomes outlawed or carries a huge warning label a là tobacco products, that would cause some significant upheaval in not only the food and beverage industry but also the agricultural industry.
 
I

ISWThunder

Member
Can't wait to get in on that cola black market. Gonna load up on soda streams and open up a speak easy. I dont drink much soda but I might shed a tear as they burn the Coca Cola Freestyle machines in the public square.
 
S

ScepticMatt

Member
gutshot said:
If HFCS becomes outlawed or carries a huge warning label a là tobacco products, that would cause some significant upheaval in not only the food and beverage industry but also the agricultural industry.
Click to expand...
The article is about HFCS and regular table sugar. I doubt that they have a warning labels on sugar.
 
R

RumblingRosco

Member
gutshot said:
If HFCS becomes outlawed or carries a huge warning label a là tobacco products, that would cause some significant upheaval in not only the food and beverage industry but also the agricultural industry.
Click to expand...

Now the question is, would the long-term benefits of improved health offset the economical damage caused by reduced corn/HFCS purchasing?

Pros: Improved health, reduced sick days, improved productivity, reduced healthcare costs/expenditures, reduced government spending on Medicare/Medcaid.
Cons: Agriculture industry gets hit which will have ripple effects on other industries as people are laid off/fired.

A thorough cost-benefit analysis of the effects of reducing/banning the consumption of added-sugar beverages (sodas, juices, etc.) would be very interesting, I think.
 
Y

Yaboosh

Super Sleuth
I cut my coke intake down by not buying soda for home. But I still eat tons of fast food and drink Coke there. I lost 7 pounds and am my lowest weight since early college (172 at 6'3").

My metabolism is weird. I eat a lot of really bad stuff. Blood work is fine though. It is hard to motivate yourself to change bad habits when you see no negative consequences for them.


And why do people get so hung up on HFCS when sugar in general is the problem? Replacing all the HFCS with sucrose isn't going to help anything unless you consider a slightly higher price a deterrent for companies to use it.
 
S

Slermy

Member
Lakitu said:
How's Cranberry juice? I've been drinking a lot of it lately.
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That has a ridiculous amount of sugar added to it. Ocean spray doesn't use High Fructose Corn Syrup though, so that's something at least.

Cranberry juice does have other benefits though.
 
E

evilromero

Member
I'm sorry but it's great that there's more science to support this but if you need to be told there's a relationship between your shitty health and drinking unhealthy sugary drinks then I don't know what to tell you. No fucking duh? No shit? It's common sense.
 
K

Kinitari

Black Canada Mafia
I think people realizing that fruit juice is basically as bad for their kids as pop is will be really helpful.

And also realizing that sugar is sugar is sugar. The difference between fructose and sucrose is basically inconsequential when it comes to consuming a healthy amount of calories.
 
T

The Lamp

Member
BkzUzi said:
Let people drink or eat what they want.
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And then American society pays for the consequences when the statistics increase past the current that 3/4 of men are overweight or obese, 2/3 of women are overweight or obese, over 50% of the population is diabetic or prediabetic, and the healthcare industry collapses from the outrageous costs of treating this overwhelming amount of sick people?

Sounds great.

Why don't we let people just play in radioactive wastelands? We shouldn't spoil peoples fun.
 
B

Bubba_Sparks

Member
Damn, I drink pop all the time, so I guess it's time to stop! I know it's bad for me, I just can't stop drinking Coke :( I am not obese or even over weight though. I usually run about 5k every couple of days. I'm more worried about cancer, since my dad developed Colon cancer I'm very paranoid about developing that.
 
W

woodypop

Member
Stat Flow said:
The occasional alcoholic drink or whatever won't kill you, but drinking juice or soda every day is awful. People would be hella healthier if they replaced all instances of the sugary shit with water.

Drink water exclusively. Otherwise unsweetened coffee or Tea.
Click to expand...

Agreed.

Three weeks ago I quit soda pop entirely. Outside of the gym, I don't really like drinking plain water very much. My go-to beverage now is unsweetened tea. It's helped me drop about 10 pounds so far.
 
S

Shanlei91

Sonic handles my blue balls
Bloomberg tried to warn us about the superiority of Seltzer with a tea bag or fruit mixed in. We just weren't ready.
 
L

Lakitu

st5fu
Slermy said:
That has a ridiculous amount of sugar added to it. Ocean spray doesn't use High Fructose Corn Syrup though, so that's something at least.

Cranberry juice does have other benefits though.
Click to expand...

I've mainly been drinking it because I've had a UTI lately, and although the infection has gone, I'm still symptomatic and Cranberry juice seems to help with it.
 
C

CharlieDigital

Banned
Lakitu said:
How's Cranberry juice? I've been drinking a lot of it lately.
Click to expand...

Look on the label. Is the second ingredient sugar or high fructose corn syrup?

ProTip: ingredient labeling lists the ingredients in descending quantity.

When I drink juice, I always cut it with water at least 50/50. I can't drink straight juice anymore; much too sweet.
 
F

Fuchsdh

Member
The Lamp said:
And then American society pays for the consequences when the statistics increase past the current that 3/4 of men are overweight or obese, 2/3 of women are overweight or obese, over 50% of the population is diabetic or prediabetic, and the healthcare industry collapses from the outrageous costs of treating this overwhelming amount of sick people?

Sounds great.

Why don't we let people just play in radioactive wastelands? We shouldn't spoil peoples fun.
Click to expand...

Well, this is the entire problem with the liberal/conservative dynamic. I think most people have an ultimate attitude that runs something like "let everyone do what they want, as long as it doesn't affect others."

The problem becomes what degree do you consider something affecting others? Dumping toxic waste, sure. Smoking comes with higher health care premiums, etc. But we as a society haven't come to a consensus on habits such as these. I mean, people who eat too much meat are at a higher risk for cardiac disease, so should non-vegetarians be penalized? I don't want to pay for the treatment of overweight people, but essentially my alternative would be let them die if you cut them out of general insurance pools.

At the same time, I wanted to reach through my screen and throttle that obese guy in Super Size Me who was getting his stomach stapled, but was still drinking something like 48 oz of soda a day and was doing it in the hospital too. It's a pretty natural reaction.
 
B

Blader

Member
Kinitari said:
Still boggles my mind when people say that they'd rather drink regular pop over diet because they're not sure aspartame is safe. Maybe studies like this will convince them that, hey.... Maybe switch to diet, or even just drink water if you're that worried.
Click to expand...

Diet soda is gross though. If people prefer regular soda over diet, it's because they like the taste.
 
A

andymcc

Banned
why can't people just drink water. if you have to have your sugary drinks, make it a once in a while thing... i have a regular coke maybe once every two weeks or so.

Miles Quaritch said:
What about cane sugar?

As bad? I've become a little addicted to a drink that uses cane sugar and I'm wondering if I'm going to die.
Click to expand...

don't drink it exclusively.
 
T

The Lamp

Member
Bubba_Sparks said:
Damn, I drink pop all the time, so I guess it's time to stop! I know it's bad for me, I just can't stop drinking Coke :( I am not obese or even over weight though. I usually run about 5k every couple of days. I'm more worried about cancer, since my dad developed Colon cancer I'm very paranoid about developing that.
Click to expand...

You could be TOFI (Thin on the outside, fat on the inside), where if they do a bodyscan, it will show that all the fat has deposited on your organs like your liver, which is even unhealthier than having a bit of chub around your skin. You wouldn't be able to tell just by weighing yourself.
 
A

andymcc

Banned
The Lamp said:
You could be TOFI (Thin on the outside, fat on the inside), where if they do a bodyscan, it will show that all the fat has deposited on your organs like your liver, which is even unhealthier than having a bit of chub around your skin. You wouldn't be able to tell just by weighing yourself.
Click to expand...

there was a guy i knew that had to have lots of very serious GI surgeries because of this. he looked normal, thin even, on the outside but only ate fucking fast food and drank soda.
 
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