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ALERT: How Drinking Soda Can Damage Your Kidney Function, Study Warns

AHA Publisher — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 07:00:21 +0000

News Staff via NaturalHealth365 – We’ve all seen advertisements of people guzzling ice-cold soft drinks on a hot summer day. But, while drinking a cold soda on a hot day may sound appealing to some people, a recent study published in the American Journal of Physiology warns that it may damage your kidneys. In fact, the study warns that drinking soda in the heat can have a particularly adverse effect on your kidney function. What Happens to Your Body When You Exercise in the Heat? When it’s hot, your body reacts by sweating more to cool off. If you exercise in hot weather, your body reduces blood flow to your kidneys so it can conserve water and regulate blood pressure. When blood flow to your kidneys is sharply reduced, your kidneys get less oxygen, and consequently, acute kidney injury can occur. Research shows exertion in high temperatures causes an increase in biomarkers of kidney injury. So exercising on a hot summer day already puts your kidneys at risk of dehydration and harm, even before adding soft drinks into the mix. But if you do reach for that cold soda, the risk to your kidneys is even more profound. Why Drinking Soda Is Damaging to Your Kidneys According to the study, drinking soda after laboring or exercising in hot weather increases dehydration, putting your kidneys in danger. In the study, volunteers performed manual labor in 95-degree Fahrenheit weather. Biomarkers for kidney function were measured before and after exercise. Some participants drank water immediately after exertion, and some drank soda. Researchers saw a jump in dehydration and markers for kidney injury in the participants who drank soda, including higher levels of uric acid and vasopressin. Researchers concluded that drinking soda during and immediately after exercise in heat does not rehydrate the body. Instead, soda induces acute kidney injury. In addition, because soda contains high amounts of fructose and often caffeine, it does much more harm than good. These findings are startling. Many people consume much higher amounts of fructose than what is safe and more protein than necessary, which can also imperil kidney function. Additionally, processed foods, in general, are detrimental to our health and children’s health. How to Protect Your Kidneys So how can you keep your kidneys safe and healthy in the summer heat and beyond? A few simple dietary habits can ensure you’re taking care of your kidneys as well as possible. Drinking plenty of clean, pure water is essential. When you choose water over high-fructose drinks, you’ll help keep your kidneys hydrated and functioning smoothly. Eating a diet rich in organic fresh fruits and vegetables has many health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, which is good news for your kidneys. Several super foods are especially good for your kidneys, including cherries, red bell peppers, watermelon, and kale. To support optimal kidney function, you might also want to add these great foods into your diet: ginger, turmeric, nettle, and yarrow. Your kidneys are vital for good health. They work hard daily to filter your blood and flush out impurities through urination. Opting for a tall glass of cold filtered water over highly processed sugar-filled soft drinks will help prevent kidney injury and keep these precious organs working well. Sources for this article include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org Journals.physiology.org To read the original article click here.

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People Who Consume Too Much High Fructose Corn Syrup Could Be at Risk for Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

AHA Publisher — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 07:00:38 +0000

Endocrine Society via Newswise – High fructose consumption should be avoided to prevent the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), according to research being presented Sunday, June 12 at ENDO 2022, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Atlanta, Ga. Fructose is a natural sugar present in fruits, fruit juices, certain vegetables and honey. In these forms, fructose sugars can be part of a nutritious diet. However, fructose is also a component of high-fructose corn syrup, which manufacturers make from corn starch and add to unhealthy foods such as sodas and candies. High fructose foods have been associated with metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes, which are the two main causes of NAFLD. About 24% of U.S. adults have NAFLD, a chronic disease in which excess fat builds up in your liver. This buildup of fat is not caused by heavy alcohol use. NAFLD can progress to chronic liver damage and lead to death. Diet and exercise are the standard of care for NAFLD as no medicines have been approved to treat the disease. “NAFLD is a serious problem and it is increasing in the population. There is a racial/ethnic difference in the prevalence of the NAFLD. People consume high-fructose corn syrup in foods, soft drinks and other beverages. Some studies suggested that consumption of high-fructose corn syrup is related to the development of NAFLD,” said lead author Theodore Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., of Charles R. Drew University in Los Angeles, Calif. For this study, the researchers analyzed data from 3,292 participants enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-2018. They found the greatest proportion of those who consumed the highest fructose were Mexican Americans (48%) and non-Hispanic Blacks (44%) with a low percentage of non-Hispanic whites (33%). The highest prevalence of NAFLD was among Mexican Americans who consumed the highest amount of fructose (70%). “We found that when adjusting for the demographics and behavioral factors (smoking, modest alcohol consumption, diet quality and physical activity), high fructose consumption was associated with a higher chance of NAFLD among the total population and Mexican Americans,” Friedman said. A better fitting model emerged when the researchers additionally adjusted for body composition and laboratory variables, where they found that high fructose consumption was related to higher chances of NAFLD in the total population, Mexican Americans and Whites. “High fructose consumption in Mexican Americans contributed, in part, to the health disparity of NAFLD,” Friedman said. Friedman and colleagues recommend health care providers encourage patients to consume less foods and beverages with high-fructose corn syrup to prevent the development of NAFLD. To read the original article click here.

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Daily Intake of Two or More Sugar-Sweetened Drinks Associated with Higher Bowel Cancer Risk

AHA Publisher — Tue, 11 May 2021 07:00:55 +0000

BMJ via News-Medical – Drinking two or more daily sugar-sweetened beverages in adulthood is linked to a doubling in the risk of bowel cancer before the age of 50–at least in women, finds research published online in the journal Gut. And each daily serving is associated with a 16% higher risk, rising to 32% per daily serving during the teenage years, the findings indicate. Cases of bowel cancer diagnosed before the age of 50, formally known as early onset colorectal cancer, have been increasing in many high income countries over the past two decades. But it’s not clear why. In the US, adults born around 1990 run twice the risk of colon cancer and four times the risk of rectal cancer of adults born around 1950. Sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soft drinks, fruit flavored drinks, sports and energy drinks, make up the leading (39%) source of added sugar in US diets, and 12% of the population drinks more than three servings (8 fl oz each) every day. Heavy consumption has been linked to a heightened risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Although these drinks have steadily risen in popularity, particularly among teens and young adults, it’s not known if this intake might also be associated with a heightened risk of bowel cancer in mid-life. To explore this further, the researchers drew on information provided by 95,464 participants in the Nurses’ Health Study II, an ongoing monitoring study of 116,429 US female registered nurses aged between 25 and 42 at enrolment in 1989. The women reported what they ate and drank, using validated food frequency questionnaires every 4 years, starting in 1991. And 41,272 of them reported on what, and how much, they drank during their teenage years (13–18) in 1998. Information was also supplied on potentially influential factors, including family history of bowel cancer, lifestyle, regular use of aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and vitamin supplements. In 1989, participants were additionally asked to recall their health status, weight (BMI) and lifestyle in their teenage years. During 24 years of monitoring, 109 women developed bowel cancer before the age of 50. Higher intake of sugar-sweetened drinks in adulthood was associated with a higher risk of the disease after accounting for potentially influential risk factors. Compared with those who drank less than one serving a week, women who drank 2 or more every day were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with bowel cancer, with each daily serving associated with a 16% higher risk. Among the 41,272 who reported on their teen patterns of consumption, each daily serving was associated with a 32% higher risk of subsequently developing the disease before the age of 50. Substituting sugar-sweetened drinks with artificially sweetened beverages, coffee, or semi-skimmed or whole milk was associated with a 17% to 36% lower risk of a bowel cancer diagnosis before the age of 50. This is an observational study, and as such, can’t establish cause, only correlation. And given that most participants were white women, the findings may not be applicable to men or other racial/ethnic groups, acknowledge the researchers. Nevertheless, they point out that there are some biologically plausible explanations for their findings: sugar-sweetened drinks suppress feelings of satiety, so risking excess energy intake and associated weight gain. These drinks also prompt a rapid rise in blood glucose and insulin secretion, which, over the long term, can induce insulin resistance, inflammation, obesity and type 2 diabetes, they add. Emerging evidence also suggests that fructose can impair gut barrier function and increase gut permeability, which could promote the development of cancer, suggest the researchers. “[Sugar-sweetened beverage] consumption may contribute to the rising incidence of [early onset bowel cancer],” they suggest. “Reducing intake and/or [substitution] with other healthier beverages among adolescents and young adults may serve as a potential actionable strategy to alleviate the growing burden of bowel cancer before the age of 50],” they conclude. To read the original article click here.

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Obesity Hits New Milestone Largely Due to Sugar Consumption

AHA Publisher — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 07:00:25 +0000

Lorie Johnson via CBN News – More than 42% of US adults are now obese, making it the first time in history the national rate has passed the 40% mark, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which points out the steep and rapid rise of this serious health condition. In 1999 the obesity rate was a much lower 30%. Obesity in adults is defined as a BMI greater than or equal to 30. BMI stands for body mass index and is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to men and women. A person can calculate their BMI on the National Institutes of Health website. The number of people classified as severely obese has also jumped from 4.7% to 9/2% since 1999. Severe obesity as a BMI of 40 or more. Meanwhile, the number of overweight Americans, those with a BMI between 25 and 29.9, stands at 31.1%. This means in total, almost three out of every four Americans is above what health professionals consider a healthy weight. It’s Likely All That Sugar According to the American Heart Association, men should consume no more than nine teaspoons, or 37 grams, of added sugar a day while women, based on their smaller size, should consume no more than six teaspoons, or 25 grams. However, most Americans consume three times the recommended amount of sugar, perhaps without even realizing it. That adds up to approximately 60 pounds a year for adults and believe it or not, many children consume more sugar than grown-ups, an estimated 65 pounds a year. Sugar-sweetened beverages are the biggest source of added sugar in the American diet. Kids consume about 30 gallons of liquid sugar a year, enough to fill a bathtub! Kids and adults alike consume high sugar sodas as well as deceptively sweet fruit juices, sport, and energy drinks. Even tea and coffee can be loaded with sugars. Some popular coffee shop drinks contain 14 teaspoons of sugar, almost two days’ worth. Aside from beverages, other high sugar items include baked goods, ice cream, and candy. Clinical Psychiatrist Uma Naidoo, M.D., author of the book, This is Your Brain on Food told CBN News said these foods admittedly make people happy when they eat them but many don’t realize in doing so they are consuming an entire day’s allotment of sugar in one small treat. “They do feel that uplifting feeling for a few minutes,” she said, “But the problem is these long-term effects.” These include Type 2 diabetes and heart disease as well as some cancers and brain disorders. “Sugar has been shown in several research studies to worsen depression, to worsen anxiety,” Dr. Naidoo said, “And is associated with brain atrophy and dementia.” Disguised as Healthy Most people realize candy and soda contain sugar, but might be surprised to learn seemingly healthy foods contain just as much if not more. Some examples include protein bars, barbeque sauce, yogurt, ketchup and nutritional drinks aimed at the elderly, baked beans, and much more. In fact, health experts say most processed foods are laden with sugar, including those that don’t seem sweet. Molly Carmel learned that first hand. She told CBN News that after tipping the scale at 325 pounds, she realized she learned to identify and avoid all forms of sugar. “Sugar is a tricky, tricky, tricky little abuser because it really is everywhere,” she said, “I gave up ketchup, I gave up teriyaki sauce, I gave up a lot of salad dressings.” In her book Breaking Up with Sugar, she describes how she dropped the weight and kept it off for more than ten years. Become a Savvy Shopper Carmel says in order to identify whether a product contains sugar don’t just look for the word “sugar” on the list of ingredients. Food manufacturers use dozens of different types of sugar. Many end in the letters “ose” such as fructose and dextrose. Other examples of added sugar include syrup, molasses, cane juice, and fruit juice concentrate. Sometimes to avoid making any particular type of sugar one of the first ingredients listed, they will add small amounts of many different types of sugar to a product. The best way to learn how many added sugars a product contains is to read the Nutrition Facts panel which lists how many grams of added sugar is in each serving. However, read that Nutrition Facts panel closely, paying particular attention to a product’s serving size. Food manufacturers try to make a product seem healthier by reducing the serving size, sometimes to ridiculously small portions, much smaller than a person typically eats. For example, a high-sugar granola producer lists its serving size on the Nutrition Facts panel as one-fourth of a cup, which is only about three bites! The average person actually eats more than one cup of granola at a sitting. Therefore, to get an accurate idea of the product’s sugar content, multiply the amount of sugar in the serving size by four. To read the original article click here. For more articles from CBN News click here.

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