Scientists Offer Another Reason To Ditch Soda [Study]

Soda may taste real good and refreshing, but a recent study has suggested that limiting artificially sweetened beverages -- or ultimately ditching them -- will help steer people away from heart failure.

The study, published Monday in the British Medical Journal, investigated whether the consumption of sweetened beverages negatively affected the health of Swedish men. Researchers specifically wanted to see if it heightens the risk for heart failure.

The researchers followed the daily dietary habits of more than 42,000 men aged 45 to 79, from the year 1998 to 2010. Data was gathered via the use of a questionnaire, only limiting considerations to artificially sweetened drinks – tea, coffee or juice were not included.

During the study period, researchers recorded more than 4,100 cases of heart failure among the respondents. This indicated a 23 percent higher risk for heart failure when an individual consumed two or more bottles of artificially sweetened beverage in a day, compared to those who drank less or ultimately avoided drinking the beverages.

"The takeaway message is that people who regularly consume sweetened beverages should consider limiting their consumption to reduce their risk of heart failure," study co-author Dr. Susanna Larsson of the Stockholm Karolinska Institutet told CNN.

The Heart Failure Society of America described heart failure as a common, often unrecognized and misdiagnosed condition. Its symptoms are usually misjudged by the general public as “signs of aging.”

It is a progressive condition in which the heart becomes weak, gradually losing the ability to pump blood enough to supply the whole body's needs.

Chief of cardiovascular medicine Dr. Roberto Bolli told CNN that patients suffering from heart failure have a “very miserable life.” Such patients suffer from a “severe impairment” in their normal daily living.

"Patients with heart failure are severely limited in their ability to perform daily tasks, they get short of breath for even small efforts like walking one block, or sometimes even walking inside their house," Bolli explained.

The United Press International added that more than just increasing risks for heart failure, other studies have found that adding soda or artificially sweetened beverages to one's daily diet can also increase risks for heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and fatty liver disease.

In an editorial published along with the study, the researchers advise sensible consumption of sweetened beverages:

“Meanwhile more research in this field is available, and taking into account the existing evidence, the advice to the general population should be that their most sensible option will be to reduce or eliminate their consumption of SBs replacing them with water to comply with the requirements for a good hydration.”