Soft drinks change body chemistry making it harder to lose weight

London: Drinking sugared fizzy drinks could be even more harmful than previously thought, experts have warned.

The soft drinks don`t just pile on the pounds because of the calories in them - they alter the way your body burns fuel. Your muscles grow to ``prefer`` sugar to fat as a fuel, and thus losing weight becomes harder. And worryingly this effect lasts long-term which can raise levels of blood glucose leading to diabetes. “This study proves our concerns over sugary drinks have been correct. Not only can regular sugar intake acutely change our body metabolism; in fact it seems that our muscles are able to sense the sugars and make our metabolism more inefficient, not only in the present but in the future as well,” the Daily Mail quoted Dr Hans-Peter Kubis, of Bangor University, as saying. “This will lead a reduced ability to burn fat and to fat gain. Moreover, it will make it more difficult for our body to cope with rises in blood sugar,” he noted. The move to an inefficient metabolism was seen in male and female participants who were lightly active, and drinking soft drinks for just four weeks. These factors show that regular use of sugar sweetened soft drinks drives alterations in muscles similar to those found in people with obesity problems and type 2 diabetes. “What is clear is our body adjusts to regular soft drink consumption and prepares itself for the future diet by changing muscle metabolism via altered gene activity - encouraging unhealthy adaptations similar to those seen in people with obesity problems and type 2 diabetes,” Dr Kubis said. “This would relate to all kinds of soft drinks with a high sugar content, including fruit juices,” he added. ANI