And lead to drinking more calories!
New research from the UK suggests that drinking sugary beverages may begin a “vicious cycle” that can lead to obesity!
A new study has found evidence that drinking just TWO sugary beverages a day can dull taste buds within a month, leaving us hungry for high-calorie, sugar-laden food!
This alarming news was discovered after researchers asked lean and obese people to rate their perception and enjoyment of sweet and salty tastes. The obese participants in the study tended to rate identical drinks as less sweet than the lean ones did.
THEN they asked lean people, who usually did not consume sugary drinks, to consume a sugary drink twice a day for one month after their initial sensitivity was tested. After being re-tested a month later, their sensitivity to sweet tastes and conscious enjoyment of them had dulled.
Study authors found the results of the study to be alarming and think they may help explain the rising levels of obesity and diabetes across the world, saying:
“We are heading for a health disaster with rising obesity levels and the increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes. From our research it is clear to see how this situation may have created a cycle of sweet food and drink consumption. As taste satisfaction levels drop; the more sweet foods are consumed, contributing to these problems.”
If this isn’t encouragement to lay off of soda for a while, we don’t know what is!
We’ve always said eliminating sugary beverages out of your diet and replacing them with water is a great way to cut down on caloric intake, but it might save your tastebuds too!
[Image via AP Images.]
