It’s a bitter pill to swallow: Scientists are reporting too much consumption of sugary beverages like soda and fruit juice could lead to an early death.
According to a new study published in the journal Circulation, researchers analyzed data from over 125,000 participants who tracked their diet, lifestyle, and overall health for about 30 years, to reach that conclusion.
The study found that the more beverages packed with sugar that folks were consuming, drinks like soda, energy drinks and sports drinks, the higher their risk for death was during the study, LiveScience reports.
People who drank two to six sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) per week were actually 6 percent more likely to die during the study than those who drank less than one SBB per month. Participants who drank one to two SSBs per day were 14 percent more likely to die during the study compared to those who only sipped on one SSB per month.
“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,” Vasanti Malik, the study’s lead author and a research scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Department of Nutrition, said in a statement.
Previous research has linked the consumption of SSBs to health problems such as weight gain and an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart problems. However, this is the first research to link early death with SSB intake.
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