Soft drinks look and taste good. They come in all sorts of packaging, colours and flavours that appeal to all the senses.
On the average, it’s difficult to
convince a growing child that regular consumption of soft drinks does
have untoward effects on health. Indeed, ask the average school kid what
he spends his lunch allowance on, and the first item on the list is
likely to be a bottle of … you fill in the gap!
Sugar eating is not peculiar to kids,
though; as some adults seem unable to control their appetite for sugary
beverages, especially those reportedly designed for weight watchers,
which researchers say, contain as much sugar as do those that could be
taken by those who don’t claim to be on any diet.
Indeed,
a recent study by scientists at Imperial College of London suggests
that daily consumption of just a 50cl bottle of sugar-sweetened beverage
can raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 22 per cent.
The research, published in Diabetologia
(the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes),
was carried out by a team of scientists comprising Drs. Dora Romaguera,
Petra Wark and Teresa Norat. Other researches in Germany, Denmark,
Italy, Spain, Sweden, France and The Netherlands also support their
findings.
Experts describe diabetes mellitus as a
metabolism disorder. “This refers to the way our bodies use digested
food for energy and growth. Most of what we eat is broken down into
glucose – a form of sugar in the blood. High blood sugar after meals is a
key risk factor in the progression from impaired glucose tolerance
(pre-diabetes) to type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” says
diabetologist/Medical Director of Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre,
Lekki Phase 1, Dr. Afokoghene Isiavwe.
Asked what constitutes the normal range
for blood sugar levels, and what blood sugar level constitutes a true
emergency, experts say when a healthy individual eats, the blood sugar
will not exceed 135mg to 140mg per deciliter, giving a fairly narrow
range of blood sugar throughout the entire day.
In diabetics, however, the story is
remarkably different. Scientists say a diabetic patient’s blood sugar
can exceed 180mg to 200mg per deciliter, exceeding the capacity of the
kidneys to reabsorb the glucose, making the patient to spill glucose
into the urine. That’s when people pass what is generally called
‘sugar-spiked urine.’
Diabetes comes in two types – types one
and two. Isiavwe says, “Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition in which
the pancreas produces little or no insulin that is needed for sugar
(glucose) to enter cells to produce energy.”
She explains that various factors may
contribute to someone having type 1 diabetes, including genetics and
exposure to certain viruses. “The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is
unknown. In most people with type 1 diabetes, the body’s own immune
system – which normally fights harmful bacteria and viruses – mistakenly
destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Again, genetics
and family history may play a role in this process, while exposure to
certain viruses may trigger the disease,” she says.
Experts reveal that glucose is a main
source of energy for the cells that make up muscles and other tissues
and it comes from two major sources – food and your liver.
“Sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream,
where it enters cells with the help of insulin. Your liver stores
glucose as glycogen. When your insulin levels are low, such as when you
haven’t eaten in a while, the liver converts stored glycogen into
glucose to keep your glucose level within a normal range.
“In type 1 diabetes, there’s no insulin
to let glucose into the cells, so sugar builds up in your bloodstream,
where it can cause life-threatening complications,” experts say.
They also say that the far more common
type 2 diabetes occurs when the body becomes resistant to the effects of
insulin or doesn’t make enough insulin.
Lamenting the problem, Lagos State
Commissioner of Health, Dr. Jide Idris, once said that “diabetes affects
an estimated six per cent of Lagos populace.” This, he says, was
responsible for the initiatives of the state government in organising
free screening for diabetes and hypertension – two potential killer
conditions.
Experts say apart from genetics, the risk
of developing type 2 diabetes increases with age, probably because
people tend to exercise less as they get older, gaining weight in the
process.
“Maintaining a healthy weight through a
healthy, balanced diet and exercising regularly are ways of preventing
and managing diabetes,” Isiavwe counsels.
She notes that in particular, abdominal
fat puts you at increased risk. “This is because the fat releases
chemicals that can upset the body’s cardiovascular and metabolic
systems. This then increases your risk of developing various conditions,
such as heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer,” she says.
In conclusion, experts say though you may
be helpless against developing type 1 diabetes, you can save yourself
from a debilitating disease like type 2 diabetes by living responsibly.
“The consumption of sugar-sweetened soft
drinks increases your risk of diabetes. So, for every can of soft drinks
that you drink per day, the risk is higher,” lead researcher, Dora
Romaguera, warns.
Beat type 2 diabetes
- Eat healthy foods. Choose foods low in fat and calories. Focus on fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
- Get physical. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day. Take a brisk daily walk. Ride a bike. Swim laps.
- Lose excess pounds. If you’re overweight, losing five to 10 per cent of your body weight can reduce the risk of diabetes.
- A 15-minute walk after each meal could prevent older people from developing type-2 diabetes, a study has found.
- Elevated blood sugar after meals could increase the risk of type-2 diabetes. So, resting after eating “is the worst thing you can do,” the study says.
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