Sugary drinks raise risk of type 2 diabetes but sugar eaten in foods do not

A large study at Brigham University in Provo, Utah collaborated with Paderborn University and University of Freiburg in Germany has reportedly observed that sugary drinks raise the risk of type-2 diabetes in a big way. But the role of sugar contained in solid foods or eaten with them may actually lower the risk of developing sugar. The specialty of the observation has been path breaking. Common consideration has been that one should take sugar contained solid food in a measured way, particularly to those who are at the risk of diabetes.

So, the study reveals a beneficial role of sugar in a balanced healthy diet, as long as it does not include sweetened liquids such as soft drinks or fruit juice. Actually, the experts say that there is no safe level of sugar sweetened beverage consumption when it comes to managing the risk of developing type-2 diabetes.

The study challenges the popular narrative that all sugar is inherently harmful
The researchers considered the findings of 29 different studies conducted in Europe, the USA Asia, Australia and Latin America. The study found that for each 12 ounce daily serving of a sugar sweetened drink, the risk of diabetes increased by 25% relative to their existing level of risk. Moreover, with each serving of fruit juice, the risk of diabetes increased by 25% in the meta-study, according to the report on the research in a recent online medical journal. A surprising result came out in this study. The researchers found that an intake of 20 grams of sugar per day had an inverse relationship to the risk of developing type-2 diabetes. So, the study found that eating sugar may actually make a person less likely to develop diabetes.

The science behind the new findings
One scientist Karen Della Corte of the Brigham Young University reportedly said about the study that when sugar was dissolved in liquid it flooded the system fast and that rapid delivery overwhelmed the body’s ability to process it in a healthy way. She also said that sugary drinks delivered large amounts of sugar quickly and without any of the components that would normally slow down digestion, like fiber, protein or fat. The liquid sugars were absorbed quickly leading to sharp blood sugar spikes and insulin response.