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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Is soft drink harming your health? by Kounteya Sinha

Is soft drink harming your health? by Kounteya Sinha

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published Published on Feb 10, 2011   modified Modified on Feb 10, 2011
Is gulping down litres of carbonated soft drinks harming your health? We will soon know.

The Union health ministry on February 7 informed the Supreme Court that a definitive study is now being undertaken by the National Institute of Nutrition ( Hyderabad) "to assess the effects of consumption of carbonated water beverages and soft drinks on health of adolescents and young adults". The final report of the study is expected to come by February 2012.

A letter written by ICMR scientist Dr G S Toteja said the study being conducted by NIN involved the screening of 2,000 adolescents and young adults (aged 18-35 years) each for identification of subjects with high and low carbonated beverage consumption levels.

"These subjects will then be followed to assess harmful effects of carbonated beverages," the letter to under secretary in the ministry Mohammad Saleem said.

Speaking to TOI, NIN director Dr B Sesikeran said screening has already been completed. About 200 young adults who consume 600 to 4,200 ml/week have been recruited. An equal number of people who don't consume soft drinks at all have also been selected by matching age and gender. The diet and nutrient intake of the 400 subjects has already been documented.

The letter says, "They will be followed up to nine months and the investigations such as biochemical parameters relating to bone, liver and kidney function tests, lifestyle patterns and dietary intakes will be assessed at baseline after four months and the end of 8-9 months. Changes if any will be observed." The consumption pattern of carbonated beverages will also be assessed. An adolescent group study will also be carried out on similar lines.

According to Dr Toteja, available literature does not clearly establish a direct cause and harmful effect relationship between consumption of carbonated beverages and its effects on human health.

Dr Sesikeran told TOI that NIN had earlier done a study on assessment of prevalence and determinants of overweight and obesity among urban adolescents in three regions of Andhra Pradesh. It clearly showed that cases of being overweight was more in the group that consumed carbonated drinks. However, the study was not pointed towards finding the effect of such drinks on health.

He added, "The latest study will establish the cause and effect relationship. The study will have 400 people who consume high amounts of carbonated drinks and 400 who don't."

Dr A Laxmaiah, deputy director at NIN who conducted the earlier study, said, "The study was carried out in 7,905 (52% girls) people, aged 12-17 years in the three regions of Andhra Pradesh. Anthropometric measurements like height and weight, arm, waist and hip circumference and skin fold thickness were taken. The average duration of watching TV was higher in overweight and obese adolescents (1.4hrs/day) compared to normals (1.2hrs/day). The consumption of fast foods was significantly higher among the overweight adolescents compared to the normal children."

Several studies have claimed that colas are bad for health. The studies claim these cause brittle bones, contain fructose in concentrated amounts that triggers weight gain in the body and lead to cell damage, switching off vital parts of DNA, eventually leading to cirrhosis of the liver and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.

The Times of India, 11 February, 2011, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Is-soft-drink-harming-your-health/articleshow/7470139.cms


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