Consuming fizzy drinks or fruit juices from concentrate can lead to an increased risk of stroke, according to a new study.
The research by McMaster University and Ireland’s University of Galway also said drinking more than four cups of coffee per day increases the risk of stroke.
“Not all fruit drinks are created equal,” professor Andrew Smyth, with the epidemiology department at the University of Galway, said in a release. “Freshly squeezed fruit juices are most likely to bring benefits, but fruit drinks made from concentrates with lots of added sugars and preservatives may be harmful. Our research also shows that the chance of stroke increases the more often someone consumes fizzy drinks.
“As a doctor and as someone who has researched the risk of stroke, we would encourage people to avoid or minimize their consumption of fizzy and fruit drinks and to consider switching to water instead.”
The study found drinking four or more cups of coffee a day increased a person’s chance of stroke by 37%, while drinking tea reduced the chance of a stroke by 18% to 20%.
Drinking three or four cups per day of black tea — including breakfast and Earl Grey teas — was linked with a 29% lower chance of stroke. Drinking three to four cups per day of green tea lowered the chance of stroke by 27%.
However, adding milk may reduce or block the beneficial effects of antioxidants that can be found in tea, the study said.
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Drinking more than seven glasses of water a day, meanwhile, reduced the odds of a stroke caused by a clot.
The findings came from an INTERSTROKE research project, which was published in the Journal of Stroke.
INTERSTROKE is one of the largest international studies of risk factors for strokes, involving almost 27,000 people in 27 countries, including almost 13,500 people who experienced their first stroke.
Strokes happen when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off and damages brain cells.