Health scare of the week

Naturally occurring sugars in fruit juice may be just as bad as for you as the refined sugars added to soda, a new study has found. Researchers examined data covering more than 13,000 people for more than six years; almost 71 percent were overweight or obese. They found that the people who drank the most sugary drinks—of any kind—had a 14 percent higher risk of premature death than those who drank the least. Each additional daily 12-ounce serving of cola or other sugar-sweetened drinks was linked to an 11 percent increased risk—but for fruit juices, the risk was as much as 24 percent higher. While the authors caution that the study shows correlation, not causation, they say the elevated risk could be explained by the fact that sugary beverages increase insulin resistance, which raises the risk for cardiovascular disease, while fructose consumption can stimulate weight gain around the waist, another cardiovascular disease risk factor. Co-author Jean Welsh, from Emory University in Atlanta, tells CNN.com that the consumption of “sugary beverages, whether soft drinks or fruit juices, should be limited.” ■