Scientists have found a new link between drinking soda and a diagnosis of respiratory disorders. Asthma and COPD are correlated with high soft-drink consumption, according to February 7th's press release detailing this new study of nearly 17,000 Australians.
What are asthma and COPD?
Asthma and COPD are respiratory disorders that can cause a variety of symptoms in those affected.
- Asthma attacks are the result of swelling inside the airways of the lungs, often caused by allergies or other factors such as stress and exercise.
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, comes in two common varieties: chronic bronchitis, or emphysema. Chronic bronchitis results in a long-term cough with mucus, while emphysema actually results in destruction of the lungs over time. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, most COPD sufferers have a combination of the two varieties. COPD is most often associated with smoking or inhaling other toxic fumes.
The link between soft drinks and asthma and COPD
According to the study, led by Zumin Shi, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Adelaide, those studied were more likely to have asthma or COPD or both if they drank more than half a liter of soda per day. The risks of having one of these respiratory disorders increased nearly sevenfold, however, with the addition of smoking to the equation. In other words, a smoker who drinks lots of soda is significantly more likely to suffer from asthma or COPD than someone who simply drinks a large quantity of soft drinks, and both are more likely to suffer from chronic respiratory problems than someone who neither drinks a lot of soda nor smokes cigarettes.
What can you do to avoid this effect?
Half a liter sounds like a lot of soda, but it actually boils down to approximately two regular-sized cans of your soft drink of choice, so it's not hard to drink that much in a single day. There was no differentiation made in this study between caffeinated and uncaffeinated, regular or diet soda, so switching to a different variety of soda may not be enough to insulate you from the potential hazards outlined in the study. Check with your doctor if you have concerns, and consider switching to water as your beverage-of-choice.
Resources:
Shi, Z., Grande, E., Taylor, A., Gill, T., Adams, R., Wittert, G. Association between soft drink consumption and asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults in Australia. (2012). Official Journal of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology. Accessed February 8, 2012.
U.S. National Library of Medicine. Asthma, and Chronic Pulmonary Obstructive Disease. (2012). Accessed February 8, 2012.
This article is not intended to substitute for medical advice. Always ask your doctor prior to making any drastic changes to your diet or lifestyle.
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