An interesting new study has linked sweet drinks with body fat. The study has shown that drinking sugary drinks (such as coke) every day increases a type of body fat known as visceral fat. This type of fat surrounds particular organs in our bodies such as the pancreas and the liver. Visceral fat is important because it is linked to the development of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

The study of a 1,003 people(average age of 45 years) compared the effects of sugary soda with diet soda drinks on visceral fat. The participants completed questionnaires about their food and drink consumption andbody fat levels were recorded using CT scans.  The participants were followed up over a period of 6 years and the authors found that those who drank sugary soda most frequently (daily) had the highest levels of visceral fat. However, there was no change in visceral fat levels in those who drank diet soda drinks.

People of African and African-Caribbean descent (and other ethnic minorities) have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Reducing the drinking frequency or finding alternatives to these drinks may help to reduce the risk of these conditions.

You can read more about this report here and here.