Sugary soft drinks kill 184,000 adults every year, scientists claim.
And there could be a ticking time bomb because those under 45 consume more artificially sweetened drinks and are more at risk of diabetes and obesity.
The worldwide study is the first to estimate deaths and disability from diabetes, heart disease, and cancers caused by the drinks.
It said 133,000 deaths from diabetes, 45,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease and 6,450 deaths from cancer were caused by fizzy drinks, fruit drinks, energy drinks and sweetened ice teas in 2010.
The study did not include pure fruit juices and all drinks had at least 50 kcal per eight US ounces serving or just over two thirds of a standard pop can.
Dr Dariush Mozaffarian, Dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston said: “Many countries in the world have a significant number of deaths occurring from a single dietary factor, sugar-sweetened beverages.
“It should be a global priority to substantially reduce or eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages from the diet.
“There are no health benefits from sugar-sweetened beverages, and the potential impact of reducing consumption is saving tens of thousands of deaths each year.”
The study was published in the journal Circulation.
Filed under: Health Zone Tagged: 000, Sugary soft drinks kill 184
