In one study, researchers led by Ryohei Yamamoto from Osaka University’s Graduate School of Medicine in Japan found that consuming at least two soft drinks per day is linked with proteinuria - or increased excretion of protein in the urine, which is a hallmark of kidney dysfunction.
Of 3,579, 3,055, and 1,342 university employees with normal kidney function at the start of the study who reported that they drink zero, one and two or more soft drinks per day, 301 or 8.4 percent), 272 or 8.9 percent and 144 or 10.7 percent developed proteinuria during a median of 2.9 years of follow-up, respectively.
Another study led by Agustin Gonzalez-Vicente from the Case Western Reserve University in the United States, conducted in rats, found that moderate fructose intake increases the kidney's sensitivity to angiotensin II, a protein that regulates salt balance.
This leads to increased salt re-absorption by cells in the kidneys, a finding that might help explain why consumption of high-fructose corn syrup as a sweetener may contribute to the epidemic of diabetes, obesity, kidney failure and hypertension, researchers said.
Results of these studies were presented during ASN Kidney Week 2013 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, the U.S. But, nowadays there is too much consumption of soft drinks, especially by the kids and the younger generation. In fact, it has become a part of our diet.
Keeping in mind its disadvantages, we should convince younger generation to avoid drinking soft drinks as much as it is possible. Rather, instead of soft drinks they can choose the alternatives as juices, milk and some other healthier drinks.
By Ruchi Singh
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