Soft drinks make us age faster

The aging process is accelerated by soft drinks just as much as by tobacco

23/10/2014

Sugary drinks can make you sick. A recent US study also shows a relationship between the sweet drinks and an acceleration of the aging process. The consumption of at least 350 milliliters of lemonade a day leads to accelerated physical aging. Compared to people who prefer to drink water or tea, regular consumption of sugary sodas should age the body for an additional 4.6 years.

Shortened telomeres in persons with high soft drink consumption
Researchers at the University of California surveyed 5,000 people at the university about their drinking habits. In addition, they performed DNA analyzes of the white blood cells. It turned out that the protective caps at the end of the chromosomes, the so-called telomeres, of the study participants with an increased soft-drink consumption were significantly shorter than those subjects who consumed water, fruit juices or diet sodas instead of sugary drinks. The researchers report in the trade magazine „American Journal of Public Health“.

Telomeres are important for the stability of chromosomes. As they age, they shorten so that they can function as a kind of biological clock. In addition, telomeres are associated with the development of certain cancers, diabetes and heart disease. Stress and nicotine consumption also have a negative influence on the length of the telomeres.

Consumption of soft drinks promotes the development of diseases
„Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened sodas can affect the development of disease, not only by reducing the metabolism of sugars, but also by accelerating cellular aging of tissues, "explains Elissa Epel, professor of psychiatry at the University of California and principal author of the study study.„This is the first evidence that sweetened beverages are associated with shortening telomeres.“ These results would persist regardless of age, income and educational level. „Although we have only studied adults in the study, it is possible that soft drink consumption is associated with a shortening of telomeres in children as well“, Epel points out.
However, the psychiatrist emphasizes that the study provides only a link but no evidence that the consumption of soft drinks causes cell aging. Excessive consumption of sugary sodas could cause inflammation in the blood, which could accelerate the breakdown of telomeres. (Ag)

Picture: vms