It appears that when people don’t have easy access to sugary drinks like sodas, fruit punch, and energy drinks, they don’t miss them—and it has big-time health benefits.
A study at the University of California, San Francisco medical center showed that a 10-month ban on the sale of sugary drinks led to fewer overall sugar-sweetened beverages consumed by employees, reductions in belly fat and waist size, and improved glucose metabolism.
But what might be more impressive is that a group of employees who also received education about the toxic effects of too much sugar showed even better results.
Sugar is a major contributor to belly fat—the most dangerous type of fat there is. Fat around the mid-section is associated with increased levels of inflammation, insulin resistance, and cholesterol/triglyceride complications. Of course, sugary drinks are not the only items leading to obesity, inflammation, and metabolic damage in the country.
The Harvard School of Public Health declared that sugary drinks are the largest source of calories and added sugar in the American diet. But they are a quick-hit of sugar that people flock too. Just cutting one or two per day can help reduce chronic illness.
Published in JAMA Internal Medicine, this study is the first of its kind to show that a sugar ban can be effective. And remember, it’s not like the employees couldn’t bring their own beverages to work or pop out and get one if needed. They simply chose not to go and get more. At the outset of the study, participants drank an average of three sodas per day, a number that was significantly reduced.
But it seems that when given education about the dangers of sugar, participants did even better. This means that a little bit of knowledge can go a long way for your health, too.
If you’re interested in reducing your waist size and protecting your body from the dangers of chronic inflammation, cutting back on sugary drinks—including specialty coffees—can play a big role. In the end, it could help how you experience joint pain, protect your vital organs and strengthen your immune system.