Drinks

In a new analysis of studies involving more than 406,000 patients, researchers found that people who substitute artificial sweeteners for sugar – even the natural kinds – actually gained weight, instead of losing it. [1]
Published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the study looked at the long-term effects of artificial sweeteners on heart health, weight, stroke incidence, and blood pressure levels.
The researchers wrote:

One of the keys to keeping your brain nice and plump and in proper working order is avoiding soda – and not just the sugar-sweetened kind, either. Drinking sodas, whether regular or diet, is bad for brain health, 2 recent studies show. [1]
One study showed that people who drank diet soda every day were three times more likely to have a stroke or develop dementia over 10 years compared with those who didn’t consume any diet soda.

Doctors, researchers, and health officials have been telling the public to cut back on soda consumption for years, and it appears that people have been listening. Soda no longer tops the list of Americans’ favorite beverages; it has been replaced by bottled water.

Howard County, Maryland managed to cut soda sales by 20% and fruit drink sales by 15% between January 2013 and December 2015 without levying a soda tax. The county’s methods could serve as a blueprint for other areas of the country that wish to do the same. [1]

When the soda industry funds studies into the health risks associated with consuming its products, soda always comes out looking rosy, according to researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
 

New research shows that women who regularly consume sodas may be lowering their chances of getting pregnant.
For the study, researchers interviewed 524 women undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment about their food and beverage consumption. They found a link between low-calorie sweeteners, such as saccharine and sucrose, and reduced fertility rates. [1
Source: Time
The study was presented on 17 October 2016 at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine congress in Salt Lake City, Utah.

PepsiCo is being sued by buyers who claim the company misleads shoppers into believing its Naked juices and smoothies contain “high-value” ingredients that make them healthier than they really are. [1]
Source: Business Insider
According to the complaint, filed on 4 October 2016 in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, Naked labels feature images of healthy fruits and vegetables, and trumpet how the drinks have “no sugar added,” when they actually contain about as much sugar as a can of Pepsi – more, in some cases.

You might love the idea of a soda tax or hate it, but for better or worse, the tax is being instituted around the country. A new analysis released by researchers at UC Berkeley shows that Berkeley’s soda tax seems to be working
Kristine Madsen and her colleagues surveyed people in low-income communities before and after the tax was voted for in 2014, making Berkeley the first California city to impose a 1 cent-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks. [1]
Madsen said:

I have written so much about the health benefits of coffee, almost always while sipping a hot cup while sharing information on one of my favorite beverages. Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) had been evaluating whether the extremely popular beverage was carcinogenic, and I crossed my fingers and held my breath. The agency announced its conclusion yesterday: it will not classify coffee as carcinogenic.
Yay!

Next week, the Baltimore City Council will consider a bill that will require warning labels on sugary drinks similar to those found on tobacco products. If the bill passes, it would make Baltimore the first East Coast city to require such a warning.
Source: NPR
The council held an official meeting on Tuesday where members discussed the bill, which would require warning labels on not just sugary beverages, but also advertisements, restaurant menus, and at the point of sale where sugary products are sold.