The results of a study carried out on 60,000 Singapore based men and women for over a decade have been published in ‘Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention’ this month. Dr Mark Pereira and his colleagues from the University of Minnesota and Minneapolis were looking at the effects of drinking sugary fizzy drinks on health. They found that people who drink two or more cans each week are twice as likely to develop pancreatic cancer.
Dr Pereira suggetst that the sugar in the fizzy drinks causes insulin levels to rise and this fuels the growth of pancreatic cancers. No significant association was found between drinking fruit juice and developing pancreatic cancer.
The authors believe that the results should be applicable to the West, as we have affluence and an excellent health care system in common with Singapore.
Fizzy drinks are full of empty calories and have very little nutritional value. Switching to fruit juice adds vitamins and minerals to the diet. As it is quite high in sugar, it is beneficial to dilute juice with water for a refreshing drink that does not raise blood sugar too sharply.
To talk about other ways to improve your diet and your health, why not book a consultation with Smart Nutrition?