Nutritional Pearls: Another Reason to Avoid Sugared Sodas: Your Brain

Joe is a 47-year-old man with diabetes. Despite your warnings, Joe has continued to drink 2-3 cans of soda a day, maintaining that as long as he accounts for the calories and continues to manage his blood sugar, there is no reason he should give them up.

How do you advise your patient?
(Answer and discussion on next page)

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Answer: Sugared sodas not only affect blood glucose, but also cognitive performance, especially in patients with diabetes.

You are probably well aware that you shouldn't be drinking sugared sodas. They are full of nutritionally empty calories that you probably don't need, and if you have diabetes, they can also do a number on your blood sugars. Better to drink water or unsweetened tea or coffee, or if you must have sodas, choose the diet versions.

Yet some of my patients with diabetes drink their sugared sodas anyway, arguing that as long as they take the calories into account and manage their blood sugars, what could it hurt?
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Their brains, apparently—whether they have diabetes or not.

The Research

In 1974, over 1000 people were recruited from Syracuse, New York, to participate in a longitudinal study (following people over time). Every 5 years, the participants were evaluated for heart disease risk factors as well as underwent a battery of tests designed to assess their mental processes. In 2000, the study's designers added a dietary questionnaire to the mix, which allowed the authors of today's study the opportunity to assess the effects of sugared sodas on the diabetic brain.

The Results

Of the 803 people included in their analysis, almost 20% drank at least 1 sugared soda per day, while 27% drank at least 1 diet soda per day. (The authors focused specifically on sodas as opposed to other sugar-sweetened drinks, such as fruit juices.) While those who drank sugared sodas regularly did not perform as well on the cognitive tests as those who did not (and more sodas meant lower scores), the effect was significantly magnified when those who drank sugared sodas also had diabetes. This held true even when the authors took into account risk factors for heart disease, lifestyle and dietary risk factors, and body mass index.

What’s the “Take-Home”?

Those who drank diet sodas performed as well on the cognitive tests as those who did not drink sodas at all, making it clear that it's the sugar in the sodas (not, say, the carbonation) that makes the difference. Could it be the high fructose corn syrup in so many sugared sodas that is the culprit? There’s no way to tell from this study.

Whether it's "made with real sugar" or contains high fructose corn syrup, skip the sugared sodas in favor of water, coffee, or tea. Diet sodas have their own set of problems, including greater risk of becoming overweight or obese and hindering efforts to lose weight. Best to avoid them as well.

Reference:
Crichton GE, Elias MF, Torres RV. Sugar-sweetened soft drinks are associated with poorer cognitive function in individuals with type 2 diabetes: the Maine–Syracuse Longitudinal Study. Br J Nutr 2016;115(8):1397-1405.