Sugary Drinks Linked With Millions of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Cases: Study

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A recent study in the Nature Medicine journal has found evidence supporting a link between the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

SSBs include commercial or homemade beverages, soft drinks, energy drinks, fruit drinks, punch, and lemonade.

The study is the first of its kind that analysed the link across 184 countries.

Researchers obtained SSB intake data from the Global Dietary Database, including surveys from 2.9 million individuals from the majority of the countries.

The study found that “proportional SSB-attributable burdens,” such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, were higher among:

• Men versus women
• Younger versus older adults
• Higher- versus lower-educated adults, and
• Urban populations compared to rural ones.

“The largest variations by age were observed in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the lowest in South Asia,” the authors wrote.

“By region and education, intakes were higher among more versus less-educated adults in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean, but lower among more versus less-educated adults in the Middle East and North Africa, with smaller differences by education in other regions.”

Professor Lennert Veerman from Griffith University’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, who was part of the international team of researchers, said the results were concerning.

“The results show that in 2020, 2.2 million cases of diabetes and 1.2 million cases of cardiovascular disease were attributable to the consumption of SSBs,” Veerman said in a media release.

“That constitutes ten percent of diabetes cases and three percent of cardiovascular disease cases.

“Alarmingly, SSB consumption contributed to the deaths of 80,000 who had diabetes, and to the deaths of 250,000 people who had cardiovascular disease.

“We’re seeing a rapid rise in SSB consumption in low- and middle-income countries.”

Lessons From the Research

The study highlighted the concerning health impacts of SSBs, and prompted calls for intervention methods to be introduced.

According to the study, SSBs contribute to excess weight gain, as well as cardiometabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease—both directly and mediated by weight gain.

The study recommends taxation, front-package warnings, marketing regulations, and educational campaigns as potential interventions.

“Urgent action is needed to prevent needless disease and death, starting with a tax on SSBs to discourage overconsumption, and encourage the industry to produce and market healthier drinks,” Veerman said.

In addition to policies and government interventions, there are diet and lifestyle changes everybody can adopt.

To reduce sugar intake from drinks and in general, Veerman recommends consumers read nutrition labels to understand the contents of the products.

“When it comes to drinks, the evidence suggests that those with non-nutritive sweeteners (artificial or derived from natural products) are less weight-gain-promoting than those with sugar, with the caveat that we have limited evidence on long-term health effects,” he told The Epoch Times in an email.

Veerman recommends water as the best alternative for SSBs.

Could we see an SSB Tax in Australia?

According to a survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, sugar-sweetened beverages account for an estimated 9.7 percent of the nation’s total sugar intake.

The idea of introducing an SSB tax is not new. In 2021, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) released a report proposing a sugar tax.

The report focuses on the health implications of SSB consumption, including its links to obesity and preventable chronic conditions such as T2D, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

The AMA said an SSB tax would deter consumers from purchasing these products, while sending a clear message that the products are unhealthy.

Industry Resistance—What’s Next?

Despite its potential benefits, implementing an SSB tax faces significant obstacles.

The published study identified Mexico, Colombia, and Nigeria as nations that experienced industry pushback against an SSB tax.

According to Veerman, Australia’s track record against industries is “decidedly less impressive,” he told The Epoch Times.

“The halls of Parliament are swarming with lobbyists and Ministers who see many more industry representatives than health advocates.”

He added that Australia can take action centred around “transparency, political donations, and management of conflicts of interest.”

Australia could work towards “strengthening the Lobbying Code, Register of Interests, freedom of information laws, and implementing and enforcing a code of conduct for all politicians and senior staff,” he said.

“Everyday Australians can inform themselves of the above matters and write to politicians to request them to act with integrity and in the interest of the health and wellbeing of the people of Australia, rather than corporate-vested interests.”

Veerman also said people could join civil organisations that advocate for healthy policy, including the Heart Foundation, Cancer Council, Food for Health Alliance, and more.

Dr. Mike Freelander, a sitting member of parliament, had proposed a 20 percent SSB tax, according to the Parliamentary Budget Office.

The proposal is expected to increase the fiscal and underlying cash balances by around $1.4 billion, and would come into effect from July 1, 2025, if passed.