Introduction

Gulping the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar over the course of a few minutes gets the pancreas to go full-belt. While most people can handle a blast of blood sugar just fine, over time, though, a diet rich in refined carbohydrates may lead to diabetes type 2. We need not to forget that foods and beverages that contain added sugar are classified as refined carbohydrates regardless whether the added sugar is table sugar, brown sugar, honey, high-fructose corn syrup, or any other type of sugar. A meal consisting of mostly refined carbohydrates has a high glycemic index and as a result it may trigger a reaction on blood sugar after the meal.

The glycemic load, what is it?

The glycemic load is a way of classifying foods based on the amount and the quality of the carbohydrates they contain. Foods that are high in refined carbohydrates such as a can of sugary soda, a handful of jelly beans, or a large meal of pasta-have a high glycemic load. Foods with a high glycemic index raise blood glucose faster and to a greater extent than foods with a low glycemic index. A number of factors influence glycemic responses to foods:

? Cooking methods and processing of starch

? Size of food particles. As particles size decreases, the glycemic index increases

? Amount of carbohydrate (sugar)

? Type of sugar (glucose, fructose, sucrose)

? Amount of fat included in the diet.

Eating a diet rich of high-glycemic-load foods may, over time, lead to diabetes type 2, heart disease, and other chronic diseases.

Many scientific studies have shown that sugar-sweetened soft drinks contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. The Nurses’ Health Study explored this connection by following the health of more than 90,000 women for eight years. The nurses who said they had one or more servings a day of a sugar-sweetened soft drink or fruit punch were twice as likely to have developed type 2 diabetes during the study than those who rarely had these beverages.

Two other studies show a similar outcome, meaning that the risk of developing diabetes increases with increased consumption of soft drinks and fruit juices. The two studies are:

? The Black Women’s Health Study, an ongoing long-term study of nearly 60,000 African-American women from all parts of the United States. Over the 10 year period of follow-up, a total of 2713 incident cases of diabetes occurred in the study population. The participants consuming two or more soft drinks on a regular daily basis and sweetened fruit drinks were at significantly increased risk for developing the disease.

? The Framingham Heart Study. This study showed that men and women who had one or more soft drinks a day were 25 percent more likely to have developed trouble in managing blood sugar and nearly 50 percent more likely to have developed metabolic syndrome: high blood pressure, high insulin levels, excess weight, especially around the abdomen, high levels of triglycerides, and low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. The metabolic syndrome is a high risk for diabetes type 2.

Can Soft Drinks Lead Also to Heart Disease?

We have already seen that drinking sugary beverages on a regular basis increases the risk of both obesity and diabetes type 2 (Check my previous article: Are Soft Drinks Responsible for Children’s Obesity) We also know through experience and extensive research that diabetes and obesity are high risk factors for heart attacks. Then, we should ask ourselves: does the consumption of soft drinks increase also the risk of heart disease? And the answer is: YES.

The Nurses’ Health Study, which tracked the health of nearly 90,000 women over two decades, found that women who drank more than two servings of sugary beverage each day had a 40 percent higher risk of heart attacks or death from heart disease than women who rarely drank sugary beverages. The adverse effects of the high glycemic load from these beverages on blood glucose, cholesterol levels, and inflammatory factors probably also contributed to the higher risk of heart disease. The researchers found that following a healthy diet or having a healthy weight had very little impact on the risk associated with drinking sodas on a regular basis.

Final Thoughts

The diabetic person needs to have a good control of carbohydrates since these nutrients have the greatest effect on blood glucose. Eliminating sodas from the diet and including more unrefined carbohydrates is a good course of action. Just keep in mind that an adequate diet, along with moderate physical activity, is essential to control, and in some cases, reverse diabetes.

Have a great day,

Emilia Klapp, BS, RD.

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