Likely no one ever thought sodas like Pepsi, Sprite, Root Beer, Mountain Dew etc, were health drinks, even if they seemed to settle the stomach or had “Dr” in their name. (I left out Coke and 7-Up because both of those were touted as health promoting, at one time or another.) But, damaging to the brain?? Really? Who would have thought! And how about “natural” fruit juices like apple juice, orange juice, or “Naked” 100% green juice smoothies??
Well, a new study just published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the official journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, suggests they can.[1] And not only might these be bad for the brain, they may even increase shrinkage in the brain and elevate the risk for Alzheimer’s, and at disturbingly low levels!
In this new Boston U. study researchers compared data from 4,000 people who completed food questionnaires and divided them into two groups. One group contained people who consumed one or two “sugary drinks” each day, which included fruit juice, soda, and other soft drinks. The other group didn’t drink sugary drinks. Compared to the non-sugar drinkers, those who consumed up to two sugary drinks daily had “reduced brain volume, a significantly smaller hippocampus, and performed worse on memory tests.” Wow! That’s pretty bad. Especially when you recall the hippocampus is the primary organ of memory, and damage to it is a hallmark or early Alzheimer’s.
So, OK we may have suspected soft drinks, but fruit juice?
The study showed even “one” can of soda or glass of orange juice a day could have not-so-great effects on brain health, but those who drank more than two such drinks daily experienced even more drastic results. Their brain age and memory scores were equivalent to someone 11 years older! “Lead author Matthew Pase, PhD told The New York Times. “Although we can’t prove cause and effect [due to other factors], these data suggest that we should be cautious about drinking sugary beverages.”
If these findings seem unbelievably bad to you it may help to know they are quite in line with the findings of previous researcher in other parts of the world For example, a 2014 study of Australians using MRI’s found that “older adults who consume more junk foods, such as sweet drinks, salty snacks, and processed meats, have smaller left hippocampi. It also shows that older adults who eat healthier foods, such as vegetables, fruits, and fish, have larger left hippocampi. These relationships existed over and above other factors that may explain these associations, such as gender, levels of physical activity, smoking, education, or depression.”[2]
So why is this? Simply put, soft drinks and fruit juices dump sugar into our system at a much higher rate than our bodies were designed for – faster than our cells can absorb. This results in excess sugar roaming through our body, which can damage and deform proteins (through a process called glycation), and create advanced glycation end products (AGEs) which damage tissues is the vascular system and brain.[3]
According to the World Health Organization one’s consumption of sugars should not exceed six teaspoons a day or 24 grams (one tsp of sugar = approx 4 g of sugar). However, just one 12 oz can of Root beer has 45g, 7-up 38g, Sprite 38g, And just 8 oz of Simple Truth orange juice contains 23g, Kroger’s 100% natural apple juice will give you 28g, and Welch’s grape Juice 36g. So how about a healthy smoothie? Well 15 oz of Naked Green Machine 100% juice smoothie “No sugar added” has 53g! (By the way, though not in this study, be sure and check the sugar in your yogurt – 8 oz of Dannon banana has 32g! There are better ways to get your probiotics.)
How About Diet Sodas?
Could the solution be just swapping your sugar laden drink for a diet soda? After all, their labels say 0 sugars. Not so fast. Betsy Mikel of Inc.com did a follow-up with the above noted researchers and found they have already looked into that. Those results are yet to be published. But according to a statement issued by Boston University people who drank at least one diet soda per day were almost three times as likely to develop stroke and dementia.
This too is in line with previous research conducted in 2012 by the University of Miami. This study, which followed more than 2,500 New Yorkers for nine or more years, found people who drank diet soda every day had a 61 percent higher risk of vascular events, including stroke and heart attack, than those who completely eschewed the diet drinks.[4]
The focus there was on vascular damage, but as other research has shown, “if it’s bad for the heart (or vascular system) it’s going to be bad for the brain,” as this new study confirms. (See also my sep 10, 2014 post. So it appears that neither diet sodas nor other sugar laden drinks are safe for your brain. Moreover, the daily habit of drinking either could have serious adverse long-term consequences.
Alternatives
So what are the alternatives. there are actually many good alternatives. Among my favorite are, Almond milk, Peppermint or green tea, or Cocoa sweetened with a bit of stevia or munk fruit powder. I like my unsweetened cocoa (which is good for the vascular system and brain) liquefied with unsweetened almond milk, a dozen wild blueberries, ¼ apple, ¼ banana. The later two add plenty of sugar. Or just plain water, with just an oz or two of fruit juice for flavor, if you must. And recently I found a curcumin drink with a pinch of ginger and stevia from Terry Naturally, which not only tastes good (I think), but helps reduce inflammation in the body and brain and pain as well. If you look around and get creative there are lots of options that your brain would probably prefer.
For tips on overcoming sugar or diet soda cravings see past posts from June 12, 2016 http://4abettermemory.com/memory/overcoming-sugar-and-carb-craving/
And Sep 10, 2014 http://4abettermemory.com/memory/could-your-diet-soda-give-you-alzheimers-could-green-tea-and-cocoa-make-you-better/)
References
[1] http://www.alzheimersanddementia.com/article/S1552-5260(17)30050-X/fulltext
Contact David@ABCbrain.org for a copy of the full article
[2] http://www.lifeextension.com/Magazine/2016/1/In-The-News/Page-01 See the second article on this page titled: Junk-Food Diet May Shrink the Brain and the third Controlling Blood Sugar May Prevent Dementia.
[3] http://www.lifeextension.com/Magazine/2017/5/Combat-Sugar-Toxicity/Page-01
[4] http://www.vegsource.com/news/2011/02/study-a-diet-soda-a-day-kills-you-61-percent-quicker.html
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