In a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of California, it was determined that individuals who consumed one 12 oz bottle of soda each day showed DNA changes consistent with cells 4.6 years or older. In this study, 5,309 adults between the ages of 20-65 were polled on their soft-drink consumption habit. The researchers then analyzed DNA from each individual's white blood cells. It is important to note that the consumption of sugary soft drinks is also linked to obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes.
A 20 oz soft drink contains a whopping 16 tsp of sugar, so you might want to
think twice before you decide to send all of that sugar rushing into your blood stream.
Researchers discovered that telomeres were shorter in individuals who continually drank sugary soft drinks. Telomeres become shorter each time cells divide and are often indicators of human lifespan. Shortened telomeres could be the result of sugar rushing into the bloodstream after the consumption of a soft drink, which is known to cause oxidative stress and inflammation. Researchers call this, "the perfect storm for degrading telomeres." It is believed that soft drinks may be a large contributor to why we have such a huge epidemic of obesity and early disease onset. Dr. Elissa Epel stated, "regular consumption of sugar-sweetened sodas might influence disease development, not only by straining the body's metabolic control of sugars, but also through accelerated cellular aging of tissue."
Telomeres are the DNA caps on the ends of chromosomes and
they are considered to be indicators of human life span.
This article grabbed by attention, as a have stayed away from the consumption of soft drinks for so long due to the myriad of negative side effects: increased risk of diabetes, carmel coloring (may be linked to cancer), tooth decay, and many others. After reading this article, it appears another negative side effect can be added to the list. I find it extremely fascinating that researchers have determined that individuals who regularly consume soft drinks have shorter telomeres. This study could have a profound impact on the future of human health.
http://www.medicaldaily.com/drinking-soda-each-day-has-accelerating-effect- cellular-aging-may-cut-46-years-life-307495
http://www.laweekly.com/squidink/2014/10/21/drinking-soda-may-accelerate-aging-as-much-as-smoking
I find this incredibly interesting because even though I knew soft drinks were bad for you, I did not know they also affect your genetics! Now I'll definitely stay away from soft drinks as much as I can.
ReplyDeleteReading this article makes me so happy that I stopped drinking soft drinks. This article also makes me a little upset because most of the people I know consume soft drinks regularly. I always knew soft drinks were unhealthy because of the negative effects they have on your body, but this just brought the side effects to a whole different level. Telomeres already continually shorten on their own, so its terrible to hear that soft drinks help to speed up that shortening. I think America needs to do something about their food and lifestyle choices, because products like soft drinks just seem to lead to an early grave.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more, many people need to reevaluate their food and lifestyle choices. Telomeres do indeed continually shorten on their own, and I cannot seem to fathom why anyone would want to help speed up the process.
ReplyDeleteJust like you, I avoid drinking soft drinks due to the health risks and the amount of sugar in them in fear of gaining unnecessary weight. Now that I have read your article, you have shown me even more reasons why I should stay away from soft drinks even more.I would have never thought that soft drinks could have a direct affect on DNA. I think everyone needs to know this information to potentially save their lives from several different factors.
ReplyDeleteI knew that soft drinks can lead to tooth decay and other negative side effects mentioned above, but I'm surprised to know that they can also speed up the rate at which your DNA age. I do consume soft drinks but not very often, only once in awhile, but now after reading this article I might just try to stop consuming soft drinks completely.
ReplyDelete