Doctor issues major warning over 'healthy' drink that's as fattening as Coca-Cola
A diabetes expert has issued a major warning over a supposedly healthy drink that can be as bad for you as Coca-Cola.
Dr David Cavan, consultant endocrinologist at University Hospitals Dorset, says many are in the dark about the shocking amount of sugar contained in a popular breakfast go-to.
In fact, he says, some variants could have as much sugar as a can of soda - a whopping nine teaspoons, which can contibute to weight gain.
Fruit smoothies - though widely believed to be a 'healthy' beverage - are packed with sugar, Dr Cavan explained.
'Any fruit, when turned into a smoothie, becomes a very sweet drink, albeit with some fibre in it,' he said.
'In terms of sugar content, smoothies are on a par with Coke.
'It does not matter that the sugar is 'natural' (that is, it originally came from fruit) - it is still sugar, and will have a big impact on the level of glucose, and therefore insulin, in your bloodstream.'
Dr Cavan, author of new book Managing Type 2 Diabetes: A Guide to Reducing Symptoms and Improving Your Health, says a simple step to reducing your risk of diabetes is to cut out fruit smoothies.
Juicing removes fibre and some of the nutrients that would be found in a fruit or vegetable.
When drunk in smoothie form, therefore, you get more of the sugar and less of the healthy fibre that helps you feel full.
The natural fruit sugars in smoothies can also add hundreds of extra calories to your daily intake.
A 2013 study found that people who ate whole fruit were less likely to get obesity-related type 2 diabetes, while those who drank fruit juice were at increased risk.
Swapping fruit juice for fruit three times a week appeared to cut the risk of type 2 diabetes by 7 per cent.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition where the body fails to produce enough insulin - the hormone responsible for managing blood sugar levels.
Previously known as adult-onset diabetes, it can lead to a range of potentially deadly health conditions if not managed effectively.
These include heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and blindness.
While there is no cure for the condition, it can be put into remission through lifestyle changes like losing weight, eating a balanced diet and regular exercise.
Sugary drinks like fruit smoothies, however, could jeopardise the health of diabetics in remission, says Dr Cavan.
'I would even say that I don't think it's possible to manage Type 2 diabetes if you continue to drink sugar in this way,' he writes.
For those who can't do without fizzy drinks like Coca-Cola, Fanta, Pepsi or Sprite, at least switch to the diet option, which contain artificial sweeteners in lieu of sugar.
'Sweeteners can also cause problems, but they are a much better option than sugar,' he added.
Around two in three adults in the UK are obese or overweight, according to figures from the NHS.
Rates of type 2 diabetes, meanwhile, have ballooned by a staggering 40 per cent among people under 40, a recent report from Diabetes UK revealed.
More than 4.6 million people in the UK live with diabetes diagnoses.
And experts believe a further 1.3 million could be living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
44 minutes ago
- The Independent
AI foot scanner could keep people with heart failure out of hospital
An in-home foot scanner that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to recognise the warning signs of heart failure could help keep people with the condition out of hospital, according to researchers. The device, which is roughly the size of a smart speaker, operates in a similar way to facial recognition by taking and analysing almost 2,000 pictures a minute to calculate the level of fluid in the feet and ankles. This water retention, known as oedema, is one of the three major warning signs that heart failure is becoming severe and potentially life threatening. The AI scanner is able to trigger an alert to healthcare professionals so they can take action, such as increasing their patient's medication. The Foot Study, which is being presented at the British Cardiovascular Society annual conference in Manchester, suggests these alerts come 13 days before a person would end up in hospital. It involved 26 heart failure patients from five NHS trusts who were enrolled between 2020 and 2022. They were monitored using the AI device and were also asked to weigh themselves using Bluetooth-enabled scales. Seven instance of worsening heart failure was detected in six patients, while one death from the condition was recorded. Researchers found that, in patients enrolled in the study for at least two weeks before an alert was triggered, the average lead time before hospital admission was 13 days. The lead time averaged eight days when all five triggers picked up by the device were analysed. The study also found that monitoring using the scales failed to predict any heart failure-related hospital admissions. Researchers suggested this is because patients struggled to stick to tracking their weight, whereas the AI device did not require any action. Dr Philip Keeling, senior author of the study and a consultant cardiologist at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'Only about half of people admitted to hospital with heart failure currently get assigned an early review by a heart failure nurse who can check to see if they are suffering a harmful build-up of fluid because their heart is not working properly. 'Amid a shortage of heart failure nurses, a device like this can be like a virtual nurse, tracking people's health.' The device, developed by Cambridge-based start-up Heartfelt Technologies, is mounted to the wall and is typically installed at a patient's bedside. It uses AI technology to detect a person's foot and lower leg and track their position, so a camera can take 1,800 pictures a minute from multiple angles. These images reveal the volume of fluid in the foot and lower leg. It works without wifi, and only scans the legs to a height of 50cm from the floor. Heart failure is a long-term condition that means the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly, usually because the heart has become too weak or stiff. Is it estimated that more than a million people are living with heart failure in the UK. The three main symptoms that indicate the condition is getting worse are increased breathlessness, weight gain and swelling in the legs or ankles. Dr Keeling added: 'Living with heart failure can be overwhelming, with all the medications, medical tests and appointments, and the requirement to monitor your own health. 'This scanner, once it is installed, just automatically keeps an eye on you and alerts the heart failure nurse, which is a huge relief.' At the end of the study, 18 of the 22 surviving patients kept the AI device. Reacting to the findings, Professor Bryan Williams, chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: 'This small study suggests a simple device could significantly improve outcomes for at-risk patients with heart failure by keeping them out of hospital. 'This study is a good example of how technology might aid earlier interventions and treatment, by allowing people to track a key sign of their heart health at home. 'Innovations with the potential to transform heart care in this way are a major part of the BHF's goal to save and improve lives of people living with cardiovascular disease.'
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
The 'distressing' dementia sign that can appear at night
In a study, people who exhibited this sign were four times more likely to experience cognitive decline. An early sign of dementia could appear in the middle of the night. According to a study, this 'distressing' symptom could mean you are up to four times more likely to experience cognitive decline. Having difficulty sleeping from time to time is not uncommon. The NHS warns that one in three of us will experience bouts of insomnia at least once in our lives. Yet, frequent nightmares might signal something more troubling. A 2022 study featured in The Lancet highlighted "distressing dreams" as a potential early indicator of dementia among people who haven't exhibited any prior cognitive decline. The research monitored 605 individuals in middle age over a span of 13 years and determined how likely it was for 2,600 older adults initially with no cognitive issues to develop all-cause dementia over up to seven years. Participants' sleeping habits were matched with later dementia diagnoses. After making allowances for confounding factors, the researchers established a pronounced linear correlation between the regularity of distressing dreams and a heightened risk of cognitive decline in those of middle age, alongside an increased threat of all-cause dementia in the elderly. Notably, the study found that middle-aged adults who reported distressing dreams on a weekly basis at the start of the investigation were four times more likely to experience cognitive deterioration. For older adults, those plagued with disturbing dreams faced a doubled risk of dementia. The investigators acknowledged that "the associations between distressing dreams and both cognitive outcomes were 'only statistically significant amongst men'." They concluded: "Distressing dreams predict cognitive decline and all-cause dementia in middle-aged and older adults without cognitive impairment or Parkinson's disease - especially amongst men. These findings may help to identify individuals at risk of dementia and could facilitate early prevention strategies." Dementia symptoms Separate to this research, certain sleeping habits have also been identified as a potential symptom of dementia. The Alzheimer's Society has warned that people with dementia might suffer from REM behavioural sleep disorder (RBD), which leads to them acting out their dreams during REM sleep phases. "They may physically act out their dreams, which can be violent in nature and their arms and legs may flail around," the charity says. It further clarifies that such actions may result in waking up suddenly and, potentially, falling out of bed. Moreover, if the person shares a bed with a partner, there is a risk of causing injury due to these involuntary movements. This condition doesn't only lead to daytime tiredness; it also carries the risk of falls from the bed. The NHS provides additional context, stating that "sleep disturbances" can indicate Lewy body dementia, a particular type of the condition. Other warning signs of dementia to watch for include: Memory loss Trouble concentrating Difficulties with routine activities Issues following conversations or identifying the right words Disorientation regarding time and location Shifts in mood. If you or someone you know experiences any symptoms of dementia you should speak to a doctor.
Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
AI foot scanner recognises warning signs of heart failure to keep people out of hospital, researchers say
A foot scanner that uses AI to recognise the warning signs of heart failure could be used at home to keep people out of hospital, researchers have said. The device takes and analyses almost 2,000 pictures a minute, in a similar manner to facial recognition, to calculate the level of fluid in the feet and ankles. Such water retention, known as oedema, is one of three major warning signs heart failure is becoming more severe and potentially life threatening. The AI scanner is roughly the size of a smart speaker and can alert healthcare professionals so they can take action, such as increasing the patient's medication. The device, developed by Cambridge-based start-up Heartfelt Technologies, is mounted to the wall and typically installed at a patient's bedside. It automatically takes 1,800 pictures a minute of the foot and lower leg and multiple angles, only scanning the legs to a height of 50cm off the floor, and then uses AI to calculate the level of fluid they contain. It also works without wifi. The Foot Study, which is being presented at the British Cardiovascular Society annual conference in Manchester, suggests the alerts come 13 days before a person would end up in hospital. It used the AI device to monitor 26 heart failure patients from five NHS trusts who were enrolled between 2020 and 2022 and asked them to weigh themselves using Bluetooth-enabled scales. Seven instances of worsening heart failure were detected in six patients, while one death from the condition was recorded. Researchers found in patients enrolled in the study for at least two weeks before an alert was triggered, the average lead time before hospital admission was 13 days. The lead time averaged eight days when all five triggers picked up by the device were analysed. The study also found monitoring using scales failed to predict any heart failure-related hospital admissions, with researchers suggesting this was because patients struggled to stick to tracking their weight, whereas the AI device did not require any action. The early warning provided by the device could allow specialist staff to react quickly to changes in a patient's condition, potentially allowing them to stay out of hospital. Dr Philip Keeling, senior author of the study and a consultant cardiologist at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Only about half of people admitted to hospital with heart failure currently get assigned an early review by a heart failure nurse who can check to see if they are suffering a harmful build-up of fluid because their heart is not working properly. "Amid a shortage of heart failure nurses, a device like this can be like a virtual nurse, tracking people's health." Heart failure is a long-term condition where the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly, typically because it has become too weak or stiff, and is estimated to affect 920,000 people in the UK. The three main symptoms indicating the condition is getting worse are increased breathlessness, weight gain and swelling in the legs or ankles. Discussing the findings, Professor Bryan Williams, chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: "This small study suggests a simple device could significantly improve outcomes for at-risk patients with heart failure by keeping them out of hospital. "This study is a good example of how technology might aid earlier interventions and treatment, by allowing people to track a key sign of their heart health at home."
