A study from the British Medical Journal finds that drinking sugary drinks or sodas can increase the risk of heart failure by nearly 25%. Why is this, and what can you do to protect your heart health?

This specific study worked with 42,000 men in Sweden who were 45 to 79, but doctors feel that the study will easily translate to other locations and, long term, to other age groups as well. They are beginning those studies now. That's because this information isn't new. The link between drinking higher amounts of sugary drinks - in this case two or more a day - and stroke, heart disease, and other heart issues - is well established by numerous studies.

Why is this such a problem? Part of it is because the sugar in soda is of no nutritional value and there's nothing else in the soda to help mitigate its impact. If you eat an orange you've got lots of the fruit's fiber going into you. You've got Vitamin C and other things being processed. The stomach and digestive system has to work slowly through all those components. The sugar gets into your blood relatively slowly and is processed over time.

However, if you drink down a glass of soda, that's nearly the same as simply injecting raw sugar into your system and deluging your body with the results. The body can't cope with that much sugar at once. It wasn't designed for it. The load stresses the system and nearly all of that sugar gets shunted away as fat. The combination is a double-whammy. The body is taxed by that flood of sugar as an event - and then the presence of that fat adds its own burden to the body.

It wasn't that long ago, generally speaking, that children were raised drinking milk and water. That is simply what people drank. When soda began launching in popularity in the 1800s, for many it was still a "special occasion" treat. It was something looked forward and treasured.

Fast forward to modern times where many kids are raised drinking soda every single day. Their taste buds get used to that craving for sweet. As they grow into adults, soda is a "normal" part of daily life. It's not even thought about. And the results on the body are fairly staggering.

It's hard to break the soda addiction. I know - I've done it myself. But for your health - and for your ability to be healthy to be with those you love - it's well worth tackling.

Relating to this, read how High Sugar leads to Joint Pain




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