The reasons to give up soda just keep mounting: cancer,
cavities, and even water pollution . Now you can add
accelerated cellular aging to that list, according to
research published in the American Journal of Public
Health .
More From Rodale News: How Soda Destroys Your Body
Looking at DNA samples of 5,309 participants, the
researchers found that drinking soda was related to shorter
telomere length in white blood cells. The researchers
estimated that drinking 20 ounces of soda daily made you
4.6 years older.
"[Telomeres] are protective caps at the ends of
chromosomes," says Lauren Kessler, author of
Counterclockwise . "Just as plastic tips keep your shoelaces
from unraveling, telomeres keep your DNA from beginning to
fray during cell division." Previous research has shown that
as telomeres get shorter (generally from age-related
damage), your cells stop dividing. Cell division is what
keeps us youthful and our organs functioning properly.
More From Rodale News: 6 Ways to Make Your Cells
Younger
Essentially, cellular aging due to telomere shortening is at
the root of many health issues, such as oxidative damage to
tissue, inflammation, insulin resistance. The researchers
point out that telomere length has even been connected to
lifespan.
"Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened sodas might
influence disease development, not only by straining the
body's metabolic control of sugars, but also through
accelerated cellular aging of tissues," said Elissa Epel, PhD,
professor of psychiatry at University of California–San
Francisco and senior author of the study.
Surprisingly, the connection between sugar and telomere
length was independent of other sugar-related issues like
obesity or diabetes. In fact, sugar issues and aging go hand
in hand, according to Kessler. "One of the most devastating
of the so-called age-related changes, according to Tufts
[researchers], is reduced blood sugar tolerance, the body's
ability to use glucose in the bloodstream," she says. "By
age 70, they say, 20 percent of men and 30 percent of
women have abnormal glucose tolerance levels."
So, how many people are shortening their lives by 4.6 years
by downing a daily 20-ouncer? According to the
researchers, the answer is 21 percent of Americans. (Need
more inspiration to quit? Check out these two new reasons
to give up soda .)
cavities, and even water pollution . Now you can add
accelerated cellular aging to that list, according to
research published in the American Journal of Public
Health .
More From Rodale News: How Soda Destroys Your Body
Looking at DNA samples of 5,309 participants, the
researchers found that drinking soda was related to shorter
telomere length in white blood cells. The researchers
estimated that drinking 20 ounces of soda daily made you
4.6 years older.
"[Telomeres] are protective caps at the ends of
chromosomes," says Lauren Kessler, author of
Counterclockwise . "Just as plastic tips keep your shoelaces
from unraveling, telomeres keep your DNA from beginning to
fray during cell division." Previous research has shown that
as telomeres get shorter (generally from age-related
damage), your cells stop dividing. Cell division is what
keeps us youthful and our organs functioning properly.
More From Rodale News: 6 Ways to Make Your Cells
Younger
Essentially, cellular aging due to telomere shortening is at
the root of many health issues, such as oxidative damage to
tissue, inflammation, insulin resistance. The researchers
point out that telomere length has even been connected to
lifespan.
"Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened sodas might
influence disease development, not only by straining the
body's metabolic control of sugars, but also through
accelerated cellular aging of tissues," said Elissa Epel, PhD,
professor of psychiatry at University of California–San
Francisco and senior author of the study.
Surprisingly, the connection between sugar and telomere
length was independent of other sugar-related issues like
obesity or diabetes. In fact, sugar issues and aging go hand
in hand, according to Kessler. "One of the most devastating
of the so-called age-related changes, according to Tufts
[researchers], is reduced blood sugar tolerance, the body's
ability to use glucose in the bloodstream," she says. "By
age 70, they say, 20 percent of men and 30 percent of
women have abnormal glucose tolerance levels."
So, how many people are shortening their lives by 4.6 years
by downing a daily 20-ouncer? According to the
researchers, the answer is 21 percent of Americans. (Need
more inspiration to quit? Check out these two new reasons
to give up soda .)
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