How to live longer: The ‘healthy’ drink linked to a 24% greater chance of early death

Centenarian reveals SURPRISE drink that helps her live longer

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Populations around the world are growing older owing to significant gains in ageing science. The old-age enjoyed by many countries has been credited to myriad factors, including diet. The do’s and don’ts of healthy eating can be conflicting, however. According to one study, a drink that is widely perceived as healthy could increase the risk of premature death by a staggering 24 percent when consumed in high quantities.

The benefits of 100 percent fruit juice, which is extracted entirely from a fruit or vegetable, have widely been debated among medical circles.

According to the health watchdog British Soft Drinks: “Fruit juice is 100 percent pure juice made from the flesh of fresh fruit, or from whole fruit, depending on the type used.

“It is not permitted to add sugars, sweeteners, preservatives, flavourings or colourings to fruit juice.”

While the beverage is generally considered healthy, one study has thrown this widely accepted truth into question.

READ MORE: The feeling that could ‘double’ your risk of death within the next three years – study

According to the findings, drinking sugar-sweetened beverages and 100 percent fruit juices could significantly increase the risk of premature death.

The 2019 study published in the journal JAMA, looked at a sample of 13,440 people, who had their consumption of 100 percent fruit juice detailed in a set of questionnaires.

During the study’s follow-up period of six years, a total of 1,000 deaths were marked as all-cause and 168 deaths resulted from coronary heart disease.

Researchers found participants got an average of 8.4 percent of their calorie intake each day from sugar-sweetened beverages.

Four percent of their calorie intake came from 100 percent fruit juice.

Participants were considered to have a high intake of the beverages if more than 10 percent of their calories intake came from either drink.

Low intake, on the other hand, was anything below five percent.

After accounting for all factors influential on the risk of death, the researchers found that participants with the highest intake had a 11 percent increased risk for every 12 ounces of sugar-sweetened drink consumed.

What’s more, the risk increased by 24 percent for every extra 12 ounces of fruit juice consumed.

The team found similar associations between fruit juices and sugary drinks and the increased risk of early death. It was noted, however, that further research was needed.

The researchers, from Emory University in Atlanta and Cornell University in New York, said: “These results suggest higher consumption of sugary beverages, including fruit juice, is associated with increased mortality.

“The nutrient content of 100 percent fruit juices and SSBs (sugar-sweetened beverages) is very similar.

“While 100 percent fruit juices contain some vitamins and phytonutrients that are missing from most SSBs, the predominant ingredients in both are sugar and water.

“Although the sugar in SSBs is added during processing and the sugar in 100 percent fruit juices occurs naturally, the specific sugars they provide for the body to process are essentially the same, the biochemical response when metabolised is the same.”

According to UC David Health, 100 percent juice may be detrimental to health due to its high concentrations of sugar and calories, which can lead to obesity and inappropriate weight gain.

The health body explains that excessive weight gain is linked to high blood pressure, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, and a host of other adverse health outcomes.

Health experts said the findings of the study were important but that consuming a single glass of fruit juice per day posed no risk.

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