New Telegraph

Sugary drinks can cause weight gain –Study

Researchers in the United States (U.S.) said sugary drinks could hinder hormones that quell hunger and regulate appetite, thereby leading to obesity. The study was published in the ‘Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism’.

 

The researcher Dr. Kathleen Page who is an Associate Professor of Medicine with specialty in Diabetes and Childhood Obesity at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, said, “Our study found that when young adults consumed drinks containing sucrose, they produced lower levels of appetite-regulating hormones than when they consumed drinks containing glucose — the main type of sugar that circulates in the bloodstream.”

 

Consequently, Page added, “I would advise reducing the consumption of sugar-sweetened foods and beverages and instead trying to eat more whole foods, like fruits.”

 

Obesity is a complex disease involving an excessive amount of body fat. Obesity isn’t just a cosmetic concern. It is a medical problem that increases the risk of other diseases and health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers.

 

Obesity occurs when a person’s body mass index (BMI) is 30 or greater. The study included 69 adults, aged 18 to 35, who consumed drinks contain-ing either sucrose or glucose during two separate sessions. Sucrose is a combination of glucose and fructose from sugar cane or sugar beets.

 

Glucose is found in honey, grapes, figs and plums. Blood samples were taken from the study participants 10, 35, and 120 minutes after they had the drinks. When they consumed drinks with sucrose, they produced lower amounts of hormones that suppress hunger than when they had drinks with an equal amount of glucose, the findings showed.

 

Similarly, the researchers also found that factors such as body weight and sex affected how the different types of sugars affected those hormones. For example, obese people and those with lower insulin sensitivity had a smaller rise in hunger-suppressing hormones after they had drinks sweetened with sucrose than when they had drinks with glucose.

 

The ‘Newsmax’ quoted Page as saying: “The majority of sucrose that people consume in the American diet comes from sugarsweetened foods and beverages, whereas glucose is found naturally in most carbohydrate-containing foods, including fruits and whole grain breads.”

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