One soft drink a day raises heart attack risk by 20 pc

Drinking just one can of a soft drink daily may increase the risk of heart attack,claims a new Harvard study,but experts in India are sceptical about the findings even as they agree that excess consumption of such beverages is dangerous

Drinking just one can of a soft drink daily may increase the risk of heart attack,claims a new Harvard study,but experts in India are sceptical about the findings even as they agree that excess consumption of such beverages is dangerous.

The study,which surveyed over 40,000 men in the US for over 22 years,found that consuming just one sugar-sweetened drink a day increases heart attack chances by 20 per cent.

The beverages that use artificial sweeteners were also not linked to increased risk of the illness,according to the study in the journal Circulation.

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According to the researchers,regular consumption of sugary beverages makes the body compensate for the sugar rush by making its own supply of fats,which are bad for the heart.

Tests on blood samples showed that those who drank sugary drinks had higher levels of dangerous blood fats and proteins that are linked to heart disease. Levels of good cholesterol were also lower.

However,Indian doctors said the findings seem to be a bit exaggerated. I do not agree with the study completely but it strongly justifies the need for reducing sugary beverage consumption, said Dr Atul Peters,a Bariatics surgeon at Primus Hospital in New Delhi.

Clinical nutritionist Dr Ishi Khosla said,Sugar-sweetened beverages contribute to empty calories,providing high content of refined carbohydrates,increasing the risk towards obesity and metabolic syndrome.

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Previous research has linked sugary drinks with diabetes and weight gain.

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