Bad News, Soda Lovers: Your Favorite Drink Ages You as Much as Cigarettes

Another day, another study telling us we can’t keep enjoying our simple pleasures. Yeah, soda’s had a bad rap for years, but that hasn’t stopped our love of the artificially sweetened fizzy drinks. But for those of you who believe that sucking down a Diet Coke every day isn’t the worst of vices, here’s some news that might make you rethink the habit: A study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that drinking soda may damage your immune cells as much as cigarettes do.

Researchers examined data from 5,309 people and studied their soda drinking habits. They discovered shorter telomeres — the caps that sit on the end of chromosomes in cells and protect genetic material — in those who drink more soda. Telomeres naturally shorten every time a cell divides, until eventually the cells stop dividing and die. Shorter telomeres have been linked to age-related diseases and some cancers. A daily 8-ounce serving was found to age people an additional 1.9 years, while a 20-ounce serving added on 4.6 years. Telomere shortening is a natural process of ageing, but studies have found ways of stopping and even reversing their shortening. The trick? Maintaining a healthy diet — no soda included. One such study discovered that eating well, exercising, and taking time to meditate or do yoga is the key to actually regrowing telomeres.

And even if premature ageing isn’t at the top of your list of health concerns, soda is tied to a bevy of health issues. So much so that even the sugary, carbonated beverage producers have conceded that their drinks may not be great for you, recently committing to promote smaller portions and zero and low calorie options, as well as posting calorie counts on vending machines, soda fountains, and retail coolers. It’s just as well — the obsession with sodas has led us to drinking monster-sized portions of the stuff, which isn’t a good thing no matter how hilarious that Parks & Recreation episode was.

Though there’s nothing quite like a fizzy fountain drink to beat the Sunday blues (read: hangovers), it can’t be worth it if it’s shaving years off your life. Guess we’ll just have to stick to eating greasy burgers to cure our junk food needs — those are still safe territory… Right?

[Pic via Flickr - Vox Efx]