Soda Linked to Health Problems

Researchers with the Framingham Heart study say drinking more than just one soft drink a day, even if it's diet, may raise your risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. They includehigh blood pressure, a thick waistline , elevated triglycerides, low levels of good cholesterol, and high fasting blood sugar levels.

Researchers looked at more than 3000 middle-aged people over four years. They found that those who drank one or more soft drinks a day, diet or regular, caffeinated or non-caffeinated, had a 50% to 60% higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome.

In the study, researchers adjusted for factors like fat, fiber and caloric intake, smoking and physical activity. Lead researcher, Ramachandran Vasan, M.D. professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine says this study raises more questions than it answers. He says it's possible that consuming liquids doesn't always satisfy hunger so we may eat more at the next meal or that the high sweetness of diet and regular soft drinks may make us more likely to eat sweets. Dr. Vasan says more study is needed.