For many people, water might be a bit too plain to drink day in and day out, leading them to opt for fruit juice, soda, coffee, or other beverages. But two new studies suggest that these drink choices could significantly increase your risk of stroke.
Published in the Journal of Stroke and the International Journal of Stroke, these studies offer valuable insights into the health risks associated with overconsumption of certain beverages.
This article delves into these findings, why fizzy drinks and fruit juice could raise your stroke risk, and what you can do to lower that risk. We also explore the effects of coffee and tea consumption on stroke risk. Let’s break down what neurologists and researchers want you to know about these studies and how to protect your health.
The Studies: A Deep Dive into the Research
The researchers did two studies using information from the Interstroke project. This project involved about 27,000 people from 27 countries. The first study looked at sugary drinks, diet drinks & fruit juice and how they are connected to the risk of having a stroke. The results were surprising:
- Drinks with sugar or artificial sweeteners can increase the risk of stroke by 22%. The risk goes up even more if you have two or more of these drinks every day.
- Fruit juice: Linked to a 37% higher risk of stroke. The risk tripled for individuals who drank two or more servings of fruit juice a day.
The second research, using the same information, looked at how drinking coffee & tea relates to the risk of having a stroke:
- Drinking more than four cups of coffee every day could increase the chances of having a stroke by 37%. But having less than four cups doesn’t seem to have the same risk.
- Drinking tea actually lowered the risk of stroke by up to 20%, making it a healthier alternative to coffee and other high-sugar beverages.
The studies also noted that people who drank more than seven cups of water a day had a lower risk of stroke caused by blood clots.
Understanding Stroke and Its Causes
To really know why these drinks are connected to stroke, it’s important to understand what a stroke is and what makes it happen.
A stroke happens when blood flow to part of the brain is stopped or when there is sudden bleeding in the brain. This stops the brain from getting the oxygen and nutrients it needs, which makes brain cells die quickly.
There are two main types of strokes:
- Ischemic stroke: The most common type, this happens when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the brain.
- Hemorrhagic stroke: Occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, leading to sudden bleeding in the brain
Dr. Amit Sachdev, M.D., M.S., medical director in the Department of Neurology at Michigan State University, explains, “With a stroke, a portion of the brain is injured.
While the brain can recover from that loss by finding pathways around the area, it is never quite as robust as it was before. Recovery is not a guarantee, can take a long time, and can be very disruptive to a patient’s life.”
Why Do Fizzy Drinks and Fruit Juice Increase Stroke Risk?
The research shows a connection between some drinks and higher risk of stroke, but we don’t know for sure why. Some people think that fizzy drinks and fruit juice might make stroke more likely.
According to Andrew Smyth, Ph.D., lead researcher for both studies and a professor of clinical epidemiology at the University of Galway, “We suspect that fizzy drinks contain substances that may have adverse cardiovascular effects.
Full sugar fizzy drinks will contain additional sugars that may impact caloric intake and potentially weight gain, but they may also contain other substances — e.g., sweeteners in artificially sweetened drinks — that could also impact health.”
Dr. Christopher Yi, M.D., a vascular surgeon at Memorial Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, echoes this concern, adding, “High sugar content in regular carbonated drinks can contribute to obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, all of which are major risk factors for ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke.
Similarly, the sugar additives to fruit drinks can cause rapid spikes of blood sugar and insulin levels, which can promote inflammation.”
Essentially, the excess sugar in these beverages can lead to weight gain, diabetes, and high blood pressure, which are all known contributors to strokes.
Why Four or More Cups of Coffee Might Increase Your Stroke Risk
You might be wondering why more than four cups of coffee per day is linked to a higher stroke risk. Several factors may be at play here.
Dr. Sachdev points out that people who consume high amounts of coffee may be trying to counteract an underlying issue, such as a sleep disorder. “Folks with this rate of coffee consumption could just enjoy this as a preferred beverage,” Sachdev explains. “More frequently, there could be an underlying issue that affects overall body health that that person is trying to treat, such as a sleep disorder.”
Moreover, coffee contains caffeine, and consuming too much caffeine can raise blood pressure. “High blood pressure is a significant risk factor for stroke,” says Sachdev. Over time, the elevated blood pressure caused by excessive caffeine consumption could increase stroke risk.
Tea as a Stroke-Preventive Drink
On the other hand, tea has been found to reduce stroke risk by up to 20%. This may be due to the antioxidants present in tea, which have been linked to heart health benefits, such as reducing inflammation & improving blood vessel function.
Incorporating tea into your daily routine, instead of fizzy drinks, fruit juice, or excessive coffee, could be a smart way to lower your risk of stroke.
How to Lower Your Stroke Risk
If you regularly consume fizzy drinks, fruit juice, or more than four cups of coffee, you might want to rethink your beverage choices. Based on the findings of these studies, Dr. Smyth recommends limiting your intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, artificially sweetened drinks, and large amounts of coffee.
“If you’re looking for a hot beverage, we suggest tea,” Smyth says. “If you’re looking for a cold beverage, we suggest water.”
In addition to modifying your drink choices, adopting a healthy lifestyle is critical for reducing stroke risk. Dr. Sachdev suggests aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week and focusing on a plant-forward diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. “Good body health is important for good brain health,” he explains.
Be Aware of Your Personal and Family Health History
When you make healthier choices, you can lower your chances of having a stroke. It’s also important to think about your own health and your family’s health. Dr. Sachdev says that things like a family history of stroke, diabetes, or smoking can make your risk of having a stroke higher.
He suggests discussing your individual risk factors with your healthcare provider. “If you have certain risk factors for stroke, such as a family history, diabetes, or smoking history, then you may want to discuss with your provider if primary prevention with low-dose aspirin could be a part of your health regimen,” Sachdev says.
Final Thoughts
The study on soda, juice, coffee, and stroke danger should make people think about their health in the future. Soda raises the risk by 22% and juice by 37%, so cutting back could be good for your brain and heart. On the other hand, tea seems like a better choice, lowering the risk by 20%.
If stroke prevention is a priority, consider swapping soda and juice for water and tea, monitoring your coffee intake, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle through exercise and diet. By making these small changes, you can significantly lower your risk of stroke and improve your overall well-being.