beverages
Hands Off the Soda, Especially Diet Soda
Drinking soda in general isn’t the best thing for your health, but neither is drinking diet soda. According to some sources, drinking diet soda is even more hazardous to your health than regular soda. In 2005, a study conducted by Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio found that drinkers of diet soda did not lose weight.
Energy Drinks Aren't for Everyone
If you have high blood pressure or heart disease, you should stay away from energy drinks that contain caffeine or sugar, found researchers at the Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit. In the study, 15 healthy adults drank two cans of an energy drink on seven consecutive days. Their heart rates went up an average of 7.8 percent the first day and 11 percent on the seventh.
Drinking Coffee Can Reduce Diabetes Risk
Type 2 diabetes is a known risk factor for heart disease, and you may be surprised to learn that drinking coffee can help! Harvard researchers found that drinking six cups of coffee a day can reduce a woman’s risk of diabetes by up to 30 percent.
Don't Go to a Party Hungry
Have a healthy snack at home, like an apple and some nuts, before heading out to a party. This way you’re less likely to overindulge on bad-for-your-heart food choices. Another smart party strategy is to limit alcoholic beverages, which can impair judgment and lead you to make a dinner of unhealthy potato chips and mini egg rolls.
Drink Green Tea
A cup of green tea almost instantly improves the function of cells that help prevent clogged arteries. Researchers at the Athens Medical School in Greece found that blood flow in the on average 30-year old subjects improved within just 30 minutes after a cup of green tea.
Drink More Pomegranate Juice
Sip this juice and you may help fight atherogenesis (hardening of the arteries) along with reducing your risk of heart attack and stroke. A study, conducted at the University of Naples, found that the polyphenols (antioxidant chemicals) and other natural compounds found in pomegranate juice helped slow the hardening of the arteries in mice.
Lose the Diet Soda to Lose Weight
Researchers at Perdue University believe the artificial sweeteners in diet sodas may disrupt your body’s ability to “count” calories based on taste. The result: You end up overeating. In fact, diet soda drinkers may be more likely to gain weight than those who drink regular sugared soda.
Tip Talk: Saying No to Soda
From our Daily Tips: "Hands off the soda, especially diet soda."
Okay, let’s not fool ourselves. Drinking soda in general isn’t the best thing for your health, but neither is drinking diet soda. In fact, according to some, drinking diet soda is even more hazardous to your health than regular soda.
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