
Sugary Drinks Linked to 340,000 Deaths Worldwide in 2020
A Nature Medicine analysis tying sugar-sweetened beverages to 340,000 deaths in 2020 from heart disease and type 2 diabetes finds 2.2 million new diabetes and 1.2 million heart disease cases linked to SSBs that year. The burden is greatest in Latin America and the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa, with younger urban men most affected. Mechanisms include rapid liquid sugar absorption causing glucose spikes, insulin resistance, visceral fat, and inflammation. Experts recommend limiting SSBs and replacing them with water or non-caloric drinks, and suggest less than one serving per week for many people; note that the study is observational, showing association, not causation.











