MATC Matters

Call it beverage bloat. The calories you drink are more likely to show up on your bathroom scale than the calories you chew.

For example, researchers gave 15 young adults 450 extra calories every day for four weeks, either as a liquid (soda pop) or a solid (jelly beans). During their month on the jelly beans, the volunteers unconsciously compensated by cutting calories from the other foods they ate. But during their month on the soda, they ate no less food to compensate, which led them to gain an average of 2.5 pounds.

“We don’t know if it’s the speed with which beverages go through the GI tract or that they’re absorbed more quickly or that people don’t think they’re getting much from beverages, or other factors,” says Richard Mattes of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. “But it’s clear that beverages have a weak effect on satiety cues.”

Other studies back up Matte’s findings. When researchers gave regular soft drinks to 20 people for 10 weeks, the volunteers gained four pounds. “But 20 others lost two pounds when they got diet drinks.”

While those are short‑term studies, there is also long‑term evidence for beverage bloat. In a study of more than 90,000 women, those who boosted their soft‑drink intake (from no more than one a week to at least one a day) were more likely to gain weight over four years.

“We ought to think of soft drinks as a treat, like ice cream, not as a staple,” says researcher Meir Stampfer of the Harvard School of Public Health.

Obesity may not be the only risk of reaching for another can of cola:

• In a study of 2,500 people, women who drank at least one cola a day had lower bone density than those who drank less than one cola a month. It’s not clear why colas may weaken bones. Neither the drinks’ caffeine nor their phosphoric acid seemed to explain the link.
• Women who drank at least one soft drink a day were 83 percent more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes over a four year period than those who drank less than one soft drink a month.
• In a study of 77,000 Swedes, those who reported drinking at least two soft drinks a day had roughly twice the risk of pancreatic cancer versus those who drank none. A U.S study of 88,000 women and 49,000 men also found twice the risk, but only in soda drinkers who were overweight or sedentary. “A huge sugar load puts a strain on the pancreas because that’s where insulin is made,” explains Stampfer. It’s certainly far from proven, but the stress on the pancreas may cause cellular proliferation,” which can lead to cancer.

Although most studies have targeted soft drinks, any beverage with calories makes a deposit in your fat cells. That includes your eight‑ounce glass of fruit juice (110 to 130 calories) or low‑fat milk (100 calories), or your Starbucks venti Java Chip Frappucino (650 calories).

Remember: Stick to water or other calorie‑free beverages like flavored seltzer or plain coffee or tea (with a spoonful of milk or sugar if you prefer). Diet soda drinks may help if you’re hooked on soda pop.

This information is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Please consult your physician with any concerns you might have regarding this information.

Sources:

The Center for Science in the Public Interest Volume 34, Number 1, Jan/Feb 2007.
Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2000; 24:794
Am J Clin Nutr 2002; 76:721
JAMA 2004; 292:927
Am. J. Clin Nutr 2006; 84:936
Am. J. Clin. Nutr 2006; 84:1171
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2005; 14:2098

If you have questions, contact Cindi Rutten, employee health and wellness coordinator at 243‑4133.