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Sugary Drinks: Underestimated Risk to Heart and Health!
Sugar-sweetened drinks: underestimated health risks and global studies show connection to diabetes and heart disease.
Sugary Drinks: Underestimated Risk to Heart and Health!
The consumption of sugary drinks is increasingly perceived as a health risk. Certain studies show that these drinks not only lead to weight gain, but can also promote serious diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Particularly alarming are estimates that 2.2 million new cases of type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new cases of cardiovascular disease worldwide in 2020 were attributed to consumption of soda, energy drinks and other sugary drinks. This is reported by, among others, World.
The study, published in the journal "Nature Medicine" by an international research group led by scientist Laura Lara-Castor from Tufts University, analyzed comprehensive data on the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and their connection to obesity and diabetes rates in 184 countries between 1990 and 2020. In Germany, the weekly consumption of such drinks is almost 650 milliliters, which puts the country in the middle of the 30 most populous countries examined positioned. In recent years, consumer groups and health experts in Germany have increasingly called for a “soda tax,” similar to the tax introduced in Britain since 2018, which has led to a decline in sugar consumption.
Health effects and demands
Evidence of the health risks of sugary drinks is also listed in a study by the German Diabetes Society (DDG), which is represented by Barbara Bitzer, managing director of the DDG. This was published on December 9, 2024 in the journal “Frontiers in Public Health”. According to this study, sugary drinks significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified sugary drinks as a major driver of obesity and type 2 diabetes and is calling for measures to regulate consumption. These include a manufacturer levy on sugary drinks and restrictions on advertising to children.
The discussion about the possible positive effects of sweets is also viewed critically, as observational studies often cannot prove causal relationships and are therefore potentially distorted. In this context, Bitzer advocates a reduction in VAT on basic foods and suggests that healthy foods be exempt from VAT, while heavily sweetened drinks should be subject to a tax.