Here’s how many fizzy, sugary drinks a week it takes to increase stroke risk

If you're trying to lose weight, dump added sugar from your kitchen. Added sugars are those that are put into food or drink during processing or preparation. Foods such as fruits contain naturally occurring sugar, but they also provide important nutrients such as vitamins, protein and fiber. Added sugars may make you feel tired and hungry within an hour or two of eating them. You'll be tempted to reach for another sugary food, adding even more empty calories to your diet, and the cycle may repeat itse

Do you like to indulge in an occasional soda every once in a while? Be careful, because two fizzy drinks a week could up your risk for diabetes and strokes, according to a new report.

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Researchers from universities in South Africa recently conducted an experiment, published in Journal of Endocrine Society, to determine the link between sugary drinks, including pops and juices, and metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that increase the chance of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

To do so, they reviewed 36 studies from the last decade that examined people who drank more than five fizzy drinks a week. With the data, they were able to assess the possibility of disease.

They found that consuming two sugar-sweetened drinks a week could increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 42 percent. And just one sugar-sweetened drink can significantly elevate blood pressure.

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"Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is steadily rising among all age groups worldwide," lead author M. Faadiel Essop said in a statement. "Our analysis revealed that most epidemiological studies strongly show that frequent intake of these beverages contributes to the onset of the metabolic syndrome, diabetes and hypertension."

They believe their findings prove there should be more education about the harmful effects of fizzy drinks. That’s why they hope to conduct more studies to confirm their results.

“Our understanding of this topic would benefit from additional research to further clarify how sugar-sweetened beverages affect our health,” Essop said. “We do see some limitations in the current research on this topic, including a need for longer-term studies and standardized research methods.”

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