A new research study published in the journal Nature Medicine on 6th January 2025, which was conducted by Tufts University, has revealed the increasing adverse health impacts globally due to the rising intake of sugar-sweetened beverages. As per the research, the consumption of sugary beverages has been found to be responsible for around 1.2 million new cases of heart disease and around 2.2 million type-2 diabetes cases in the year 2020 alone.
Nowadays, type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases have become a global health burden. According to a study published in 2020, around 462 million individuals worldwide are suffering from type-2 diabetes, which is equivalent to 6.28 per cent of the total population of the world. Moreover, according to the World Heart Report 2023, over half a billion people worldwide are victims of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the new findings regarding the strong connection between sugary drinks with type-2 diabetes and heart diseases have increased global health concerns significantly due to the rising intake and popularity of sugary beverages around the world. Though several previous studies have highlighted this aspect, the findings of the new study are greatly concerning for developing nations.
What are sweetened beverages and their consumption patterns?
Sugar-sweetened beverages can be defined as any drinks which include added sugars and are accountable for providing a minimum of 50 calories per 8-ounce serving. Energy drinks, soft drinks, fruit drinks, lemonade, punch, and aguas frescas are included under the sugar-sweetened beverages. Intake of home-sweetened coffees and teas is also associated with significant health effects. Nevertheless, 100 per cent vegetable and fruit juices, noncaloric artificially sweetened milk and sweetened drinks are excluded from this list.
Leading beverage companies like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are heavily involved in marketing, promoting and selling sugar-sweetened beverages at affordable prices, especially in low and middle-income countries. This facilitates the increasing popularity and accessibility of these beverages among people worldwide. According to Dariush Mozaffarian, the director of the Tufts Food is Medicine Institute, people in these countries are not only increasingly consuming these harmful beverages, but they are also not prepared to navigate the long-term adverse health impacts of these products.
An increasing number of local and multinational companies producing sugar sweetened beverages are making heavy investments in the low and middle-income nations because of rising sales in these countries in comparison to the wealthy nations. Billions of dollars are invested by these organisations in a year in countries like China, Brazil, Mexico and India for developing distribution networks and bottling plants, and advertising their products to boost sales. With the increasing consumer spending power in developing countries, people are found to be buying these beverages more, leading to complicated health problems.
The new research study of Tufts University, which reflects the significant link between sugary drinks and various health burdens like heart disease and diabetes, has revealed the consumption pattern of sugary beverages based on 118 countries representing 87 per cent of the total population of the world. As per the findings, around 2.6 servings of sugary drinks, on average, were consumed by adults per week in 2020. However, a wide variation in the consumption pattern has been observed between regions. In this regard, Colombia comes into the spotlight in the case of reporting the highest consumption rates. Adults in Colombia consume around 17.4 servings per week on average.
Sugary drinks usually have little nutritional value and are found to be quickly digested. This leads to a significant increase in blood sugar. Moreover, regular consumption of sugary beverages over time can cause insulin resistance, weight gain and other metabolic issues which are associated with heart disease and diabetes.
Global impact of the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages
The global health impact of overconsuming sugar-sweetened beverages is multifaceted, including obesity, type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and even death. The analysis in the research study published in Nature Medicine has revealed that the incidents of type-2 diabetes caused by sugar-sweetened beverages have increased by 1.3 per cent globally between 1990 and 2020. On the other side, during the same period, sugary drinks driven heart diseases remain stable worldwide.
The number of global deaths due to type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases associated with sugary drink consumption is concerning and increasing at an alarming rate. Concerning this, the number of global deaths was around 184000 in 2010, which increased to 340000 in 2020.
On the global landscape, there are higher health inequalities found, especially in developing countries. Latin America, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa were found to be having the highest health burdens due to sugary drinks. Sugar-sweetened beverages were accountable for around 24 per cent of new cases of type-2 diabetes in 2020.
On the other hand, sub-Saharan Africa has reported the highest increase in the number of sugar-sweetened beverage-driven diabetes and heart diseases from 1990 to 2020. There are around 21 per cent of new cases of diabetes, and 11 per cent of new cases of heart disease were found in sub-Saharan Africa in 2020. Mexico, Columbia, and South Africa have also been proven to be most vulnerable to health diseases linked with sugary beverages.
Preventive measurements
The new study has recognized a wide range of measures for the prevention of the higher intake of sugary drinks and addressing related health diseases. These measures include the implementation of regulations and policies on sugary beverages, such as the front-of-package labelling, taxes, marketing regulations, and public health campaigns. Effective measurements also include the reduction of sugar in beverages.
For example, in order to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks, Mexico leveraged a tax policy on beverages in 2014. Moreover, prominent names in the beverage industry like PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have been emphasising the introduction of healthy beverages like Coke Zero. In Europe, around 30 to 50 per cent of sugar content is reduced by Coca-Cola and PepsiCo in some of their products like 7-Up and Sprite.
FAQ
1. What are sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and what drinks fall under this category?
Sugar-sweetened beverages can be defined as any drinks which include added sugars and are accountable for providing a minimum of 50 calories per 8-ounce serving. Energy drinks, soft drinks, fruit drinks, lemonade, punch, and aguas frescas are included under the sugar-sweetened beverages.
2. How are sugary beverages linked to type-2 diabetes and heart disease?
Sugary drinks usually have little nutritional value and are found to be quickly digested. This leads to a significant increase in blood sugar. Moreover, regular consumption of sugary beverages over time can cause insulin resistance, weight gain, and other metabolic issues which are associated with heart disease and diabetes.
3. What global regions are most affected by sugary beverage consumption?
Latin America, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa were found to be having the highest health burdens due to sugary drinks. Sugar-sweetened beverages accounted for around 24% of new cases of type-2 diabetes in 2020. Sub-Saharan Africa reported the highest increase in the number of sugar-sweetened beverage-driven diabetes and heart diseases from 1990 to 2020.
4. How prevalent was sugary drink consumption globally in 2020?
As per the findings, around 2.6 servings of sugary beverages, on average, were consumed by adults per week in 2020.
5. What steps have been taken to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks?
In order to reduce the consumption of sugary beverages, Mexico leveraged a tax policy on beverages in 2014. The prominent names in the beverage industry, like PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, have been emphasizing the introduction of healthy beverages like Coke Zero.
