Drinking concentrated fruit juice may cause diabetes in young boys, study warns

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Drinking sugary beverages and concentrated fruit juices in childhood and adolescence may raise the risk of diabetes in boys, a new study has found.

The study of about 500 children in Massachusetts, United States, found that regular consumption of sugary drinks and concentrated fruit juices in childhood is tied to a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes among boys compared to girls.

These findings, presented at a recent American Heart Association conference, bolster evidence of a link between consumption of beverages with added sugar and the long-term risk of Type 2 diabetes in young people.

Healthcare professionals “should caution young patients and their parents about sugary drinks and fruit juices when discussing healthy eating habits”, Soren Harnois-Leblanc, lead author of the study, said.

Two out of three children and adolescents in America consume at least one sugary drink like soda, lemonade or an energy drink every day.

Studies show that overconsuming sugary drinks can not only lead to weight gain and tooth decay but also raise the risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes.

In the new study, scientists looked at children born to pregnant women who were part of Project Viva, an ongoing study in eastern Massachusetts that began in 1999. They wanted to see if drinking sugary drinks, especially 100 per cent fruit juices, was associated with any markers for developing Type 2 diabetes.

They estimated the average consumption of sugary drinks, 100 per cent fruit juices and fresh fruits during childhood and adolescence and assessed their potential associations with Type 2 diabetes markers such as insulin resistance and levels of fasting glucose and molecule HbA1c in the blood.

Scientists found that a daily serving of sugary drinks of about 8 ounces during childhood and adolescence among boys increased insulin resistance by 34 per cent.

“It is striking that many measures of Type 2 diabetes risk were increased in boys at such an early age,” said Penny M Kris-Etherton, American Heart Association nutrition committee member.

Having fresh fruits during this period of life didn’t appear to have an effect on the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes among the boys or girls, researchers noted.

“Diet and cardiometabolic health are complex, with many factors varying over time and interacting in different ways, and this study represents one small piece of this puzzle,” Dr Harnois-Leblanc said.

Though the new study found a link between regular consumption of sugary drinks and fruit juices and diabetes, researchers cautioned, it could not prove that the drinks caused the disease.