Higher consumption of sugary beverages linked with increased risk of mortality
The more sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) people drink, the greater their risk of premature death — particularly from cardiovascular disease, and to a lesser extent from cancer, according to a large, long-term study of U.S. men and women. The risk of early death linked with drinking SSBs was more pronounced among women. The study, led by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, also found that drinking one artificially sweetened beverage (ASB) per day instead of a sugary one lowered the risk of premature death. But drinking four or more ASBs per day was associated with increased risk of mortality in women. The study will be published today in the journal Circulation. “Our results provide further support to limit intake of SSBs and to replace them with other beverages, preferably water, to improve overall health and longevity,” said Vasanti Malik, research scientist in the Department of Nutrition and lead author of the study. Studies have...