Fizzy Drinks are the Enemy

For a healthy lifestyle, it is important to acknowledge the little habits of ours that damage our health that we might not be able to see straight away. Most of use exercise regularly (on and off), try to eat healthily every day and have regular medical check-ups. However, when was the last time you had a fizzy drink? “Oh I’m hungry: let me grab a can of drink so I can prevent myself from eating”. I’ve said this in the past: have you? Admittedly, for the majority of us, the last fizzy drink we had wasn’t too long ago.

This might seem an irrelevant detail. However, a recent study, by Dr. Romaguera-Bosh and the InterAct Consortium, has found an association between the chance of getting type 2 diabetes and drinking a can of fizzy drink a day. The 350,000 people (living in 8 different European countries) monitored for this study have helped us understand that the risk of getting diabetes type 2 increases 18% if we have a fizzy drink every day (22% if body mass weight and energy intake is not taken into account). Isn’t it a massive difference with regards to our general health? I think so. Other previous studies have found similar results.

If you are overweight or obese (i.e. if your BMI is over 25) then you should consider drinking mostly water, low-fat milk or unsweetened teas. This will help you not only lose weight, but also prevent you from the risk of having diabetes problems later on. Did you know that approximately a can of coke has got more or less 10 spoons of sugar? Imagine what a shock it is to our bodies.

Alcohol though, in moderation, has been found to help lower the risk of diabetes, especially in overweight individuals. However, it is not a recommendable daily option. It can be considered a healthy alternative for the special occasions, particularly when in company of an old friend –or a new one. Wine has been found out to be the best alcoholic drink out of all that lowers the risk of diabetes type 2. This is definitely good to know, but it is important to remind ourselves that the word ‘moderation’ is key here.

So if you have made the decision of cutting back, consider doing it for all aspects of your life. If you are really serious about eating healthily and caring about your body, these studies can help you pinpoint what you might be doing wrong. After all, knowing is half the battle.