Daily Soda Consumption Shown to Increase Stroke Risk by 83%
Haven’t given up soft drinks yet? Now would be a good time. In addition to increasing your risk of heart disease, asthma and COPD, and containing cancer-causing ingredients (and this isn’t even touching the nasty effects of diet soda), researchers have found that sodas can increase your risk of suffering a stroke exponentially.
83% Increased Stroke Risk
A recent study from Japan found that women who drink soda everyday have an increased stroke risk of 83%. That means you are 83% more likely than a non-soda-drinker to suffer from a stroke.
The study took place over a period of a few decades, surveying participants about their soda consumption in 1990, 1995, and again in 2000. Then, they tracked how many participants suffered a stroke during that period. Those women who drank sugared soda at least once daily were at the biggest risk. The link was only present in the women surveyed.
Interestingly, another study found the link to remain whether the soda was sugared or “diet”. According to AARP, adults who drink one or more sodas each day are 16% more likely to suffer a stroke. Women in this study were also found to be at a higher risk than men. This second study came from Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Institute and Harvard University who looked at more than 84,000 women and 43,000 men.
Related Read: Is Diet soda Bad for You?
Those who stand to make money off of soft drinks, not surprisingly, don’t see the studies (and countless others like them) to be anything of note.
“This study does nothing to educate people about the real causes of heart disease or heart health issues,” said the American Beverage Association (ABA) in a statement. “It only shows what we already know to be among the risk factors for heart disease: ethnicity and age. There is nothing unique about soft drinks when it comes to heart disease, stroke or any other adverse health outcomes.”
Nearly half of all Americans drink soda on a daily basis, with an average consumption rate of about of 2.6 glasses each day. A 2004 study in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that soft drinks account for about 7% of American caloric intake. Additionally, kids are getting about 7 trillion calories of sugar from cancer-causing beverages like soda each year. That’s a lot of soda. And a whole lot of motivation for the ABA and others to keep findings like these quiet.
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