A recent study published in Advances in Nutrition has found that consuming sugary drinks like soda, energy drinks, and fruit juice may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes more than eating food with sugar. Researchers from Brigham Young University and two German institutions conducted a systematic review of previous studies on type 2 diabetes and found that drinking sugary beverages daily can raise the risk by 25% compared to consuming the same amount of sugar through food.
The study shows that an additional 12-oz serving of sugar-sweetened drink per day increases the risk, while consuming an equivalent amount of 100% fruit juice raises it by 5%. In contrast, eating about 20 grams of naturally occurring sugars in food daily did not increase the risk. The researchers attribute this difference to metabolism, suggesting that isolated sugar in drinks can overwhelm and disrupt liver function.
On the other hand, sugars found in whole foods like fruits, dairy products, and whole grains are often coupled with other nutrients, which elicit slower blood glucose responses due to accompanying fiber, fats, proteins, and other beneficial compounds. This means that fruit juice is not an effective alternative to whole fruits, as it lacks these essential nutrients.
The study’s lead author, Karen Della Corte, emphasizes the need for stricter recommendations on liquid sugars like those found in sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juice, which appear to harmfully associate with metabolic health.
Source: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article307784355.html