Substituting Water for Soda a Wiser Choice
24 April 2008
New research offers further reason to pass up soda in favor of more healthful thirst quenchers: drinking both diet and regular sodas may contribute to health problems. One recent study found that sugar-sweetened sodas increased the risk of gout, and another linked diet soda to increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.
The number of people in the United States with gout—the most common inflammatory arthritis in men—has doubled in the last 30 years. People with gout usually have high levels of uric acid in their blood that can accumulate in joints, causing inflammation and pain. Animal protein and alcohol are well known to raise uric acid levels, but many people are not aware that high fructose intake, such as from high-fructose corn syrup used to sweeten sodas and other beverages and foods, can also cause uric acid levels to rise.
The first study, published in the British Medical Journal, followed a group of more than 46,000 men for 12 years. The risk of gout was 85% higher in men who drank two or more sugar-sweetened soft drinks per day compared with men who drank less than one per month. Most of the sugar in their soft drinks was in the form of high-fructose corn syrup. Total fructose consumption, including fructose from soft drinks as well as naturally occurring fructose from fruits and fruit juices, was also closely linked to gout risk.
The second study, published in Circulation, looked at the relationship between dietary patterns and metabolic syndrome (or syndrome X), a combination of three or more disorders that increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and mortality from all causes. These disorders include high blood pressure, high triglyceride and low HDL cholesterol levels, abdominal obesity, and high fasting blood sugar.
The study followed more than 9,500 people for nine years and found that a Western dietary pattern (high in refined grains, red meat, processed meat, and fried foods) was strongly associated with metabolic syndrome. A diet high in vegetables, fruits, fish, and poultry was not.
Findings from previous studies have suggested that drinking sweetened beverages can contribute to metabolic syndrome; however, this study found no such link. Diet sodas, on the other hand, were identified as contributors—a 34% higher rate of metabolic syndrome was seen in people drinking the most diet soda—and this finding was consistent with previous research.
“The rising prevalence of both gout and metabolic syndrome in Western societies is a warning,” commented Barbara Silbert, DC, ND, who has been using therapeutic nutrition with her patients for 19 years. “Health and nutrition experts can help reverse these trends by reminding people that water, which makes up about 60% of body weight, should be their predominant beverage.”
In addition to water, consider reaching for these healthful options over soda:
• Spritzers made from sparkling water and unsweetened fruit juices
• Low-sodium vegetable juices
• Iced green tea
(BMJ 2008; online publication; Circulation 2008;117:754-61)
Maureen Williams, ND, received her bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Seattle, WA. She has a private practice in Quechee, VT, and does extensive work with traditional herbal medicine in Guatemala and Honduras. Dr. Williams is a regular contributor to Healthnotes Newswire.