LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – Research shows that if you have more than three sugar-sweetened beverages per week, your chance of developing pre-diabetes, the condition that leads to diabetes, increases by 46%. But which drinks can do the reverse, and actually lower your risk?
Diabetes is on the rise. In fact, more than 1 in 3 people in the US have prediabetes.
“Often, if the blood sugars are borderline, people don’t know,” says Dr. Amber Champion, an endocrinologist at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas
“Even with type 2 diabetes sometimes people are not symptomatic until blood sugar levels are very high,” says Alison Massey, a registered dietitian with Flourish Nutrition Therapy & Wellness.
What you eat and drink plays a big role in your risk of getting diabetes. Research shows just having two cans of sugary drinks a day can increase your risk for type two diabetes by 26%.
“We have research that supports that lifestyle change is so powerful at reducing your risk for developing type 2 diabetes by about 50%,” said Massey.
In fact, there are drinks that can lower your risk.
A study in China found drinking at least four cups of black, green, or oolong teas a day was linked to a 17% lower risk of developing diabetes. Another study in Japan found people who had three cups of coffee per day were 33% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than people who consumed less than one cup per week.
Some other drinks that can help are plant-based milk, whole-fruit smoothies, and flavored carbonated water.
Even if you have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, you can still prevent getting diabetes and stop pre-diabetes altogether. Experts say if you exercise, cut out sugary drinks, and eat right, you have a 30% chance of reversing pre-diabetes.
Subscribe to our News 10 newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email every morning.
Copyright 2022 WILX. All rights reserved.
