20 Answers to your biggest health questions

[Jake]

Do sugary soft drinks lead to diabetes?

Short answer: Yes
The majority of health research is stacked against sugar-sweetened soda . A large 2004 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that women who drank one or more sugary drinks per day increased their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 83% compared to those who consumed less than one of these beverages per month.

Complete balderdash, let's take a look at diabetes type 2...

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes.

In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use glucose for energy. When you eat food, the body breaks down all of the sugars and starches into glucose, which is the basic fuel for the cells in the body. Insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells.

When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can cause two problems:

Right away, your cells may be starved for energy.
Over time, high blood glucose levels may hurt your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart.
Some groups have a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes than others. Type 2 diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, as well as the aged population.

Soft drink is just one element that can lead to diabetes, but diabetes is genetic too, chance are if you had it in your family, you'll develop it too... so soft drinks is just one aspect that can lead to diabetes... but it's not one single cause of diabetes.