A new Australian study finds that a high level of soft drink consumption is associated with asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The findings appear in the journal Respirology.
Researchers conducted computer assisted telephone interviews among 16,907 participants aged 16 years and older in South Australia, inquiring about soft drink consumption. Respondents listed a number of soft drinks, including Coke, flavored mineral water, Powerade, and Gatorade.
Results showed that one in 10 adults drink more than a half liter of soft drink daily in South Australia. The amount of soft drink consumption is associated with an increased chance of asthma and/or COPD. According to the researchers, there exists a dose-response relationship, which means that the more soft drink one consumes, the higher the chance of having these diseases.
Overall, 13.3% of participants with asthma and 15.6% of those with COPD reported consuming more than a half liter of soft drink per day. The odds ratio for asthma and COPD was 1.26 and 1.79, comparing those who consumed more than half a liter of soft drink per day with those who did not consume soft drinks.
The researchers also found that smoking makes this relationship even worse, especially for COPD. Compared with those who did not smoke and consume soft drinks, those that consumed more than half a liter of soft drink per day and were current smokers had a 6.6-fold greater risk of COPD.
Source: Wiley-Blackwell
