Women who drink as few as two cans of sugary soda each day increase their risk of kidney disease. A study by Loyola University Health System found that two or more cans daily almost doubled a woman’s risk of showing early signs of kidney disease.
Researchers took urine samples from over 9,300 adults and questioned their dietary habits. Women who reported drinking two or more sodas in the previous twenty-four hours were almost twice as likely to have albuminuria, an excess of a protein called albumin in the urine. Albumin is normally filtered out by healthy kidneys, so an excess of albuminuria is a marker for kidney damage.
Researchers did not find an elevated risk for men. Lead researcher David Shoham of Loyola University Health System says it’s unclear why men don’t share the same risk.
Diabetes, obesity and kidney disease have all been increasing at record pace in step with the ingestion of large amounts of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is used in most sodas. Shoham said more research is needed to determine whether the increased risk is due to an excess of HFCS, too much overall sugar, or other lifestyle factors.
In addition, a recent study found mercury in nine out of 20 commercial samples of HFCS. “This adds the intriguing possibility that it is not just the sugar itself in high fructose corn syrup that is harmful, because mercury is harmful to kidneys as well,” Shoman said.
“People are consuming too much sugar,” Shoham said. “The problem with high fructose corn syrup is that it contributes to over consumption. It’s cheap, it has a long shelf life and it allows you to buy a case of soda for less than $10.”
What about diet sodas? Researchers did not find an elevated risk in either men or women who drank diet sodas.
About 26 million American adults suffer from chronic kidney disease.
