London - Could that supposedly “healthy” yogurt drink increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes? Worrying new research suggests it might.
One finding was that people who had just one or two sugary drinks a day were 26 per cent more likely to develop diabetes or metabolic syndrome (a precursor to diabetes), and were also at greater risk of obesity, said researchers from the prestigious International Chair on Cardiometabolic Risk.
There is no doubt that sugary drinks are a real factor in childhood obesity, explains endocrinologist Professor Nick Finer, of University College London Hospitals. “One of the problems is that 20 per cent of a child’s energy now comes from sugar in or added to drinks and foods - and this is linked to weight gain and obesity.”
And it’s not just fizzy soft drinks to blame - some yogurt drinks can contain as much as 15 teaspoons of sugar in just one serving.
Unfortunately these liquid calories are “invisible”, explains nutritionist Susan Jebb, of the Medical Research Council (MRC). “They don”t satisfy us in the same way calories from food would, so we can consume more without feeling full.”
“Meanwhile, they are so sugary our bodies react by releasing large surges of insulin. Repeated occurrences of these insulin spikes can make the body less sensitive to the hormone, increasing the risk of insulin resistance (when our bodies don’t react to insulin properly) which may lead to diabetes.”
So what is the sugar content of your favourite drink? We asked Glenys Jones of the MRC’s Department of Human Nutrition Research to calculate the number of teaspoons in 40 popular beverages; the results may well shock you.
Note the calculations are based on the amount contained in the bottle - as Glenys Jones explains, people buying a 500ml bottle of drink don’t stop at a neat 250ml glass a day, but tend to finish it off. The sugar content of squash is based on the manufacturer’s instructions.
Many drinks bottles have been “super-sized”, so while they may contain two servings, people will often drink the whole bottle or carton. “Many don’t realise that by drinking a 500ml bottle, they could be doubling their sugar intake,” says Glenys Jones.
A spokesperson for the British Soft Drinks Association says: “People should enjoy soft drinks as part of a balanced diet; there are also plenty of low-sugar choices if they are concerned about sugar intake.” - Daily Mail