Women, if you’re pregnant or want to be, drinking soda regularly isn’t a smart habit.
That’s because, as new research in Diabetes Care and HMHB suggests, women who drink sugary cola drinks regularly could be at higher risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy.
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common pregnancy complications, and it can lead to full blown type 2 diabetes after pregnancy. Children whose mothers have had GDM also are at increased risk from obesity, glucose intolerance and early onset diabetes.
I have great respect for this study, because scientists seeking to learn the causes of GDM looked at a large group, 13,475 women, from the Nurses Health Study II.
In analyzing at the 860 cases of GDM that developed in the 10-year follow-up study, the scientists discovered, after adjusting for known risk factors, intake of sugar-sweetened cola was positively associated with higher risk of GDM.
“Compared with women who consumed less than 1 serving per month, those who consumed more than 5 servings per week of sugar-sweetened cola had a 22 per cent greater GDM risk,” said study author Liwei Chen, assistant professor of epidemiology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.
Need help kicking sugar? I’d be happy to guide you to sugar-free health and wellness.