You might have seen a story in the news today which says that mice are more likely to die faster if they drink soda.  While some science is based in part on using laboratory animals for testing, we think it’s quite a leap that the authors of the study extrapolate their data and apply it to people.

You really have to put this mouse study in context.  The mice were fed a diet that included a fructose and glucose mixture – not soda or other sugar-sweetened beverages – every single day from infancy until the end of their lives.  This is in no way a realistic reflection of the life of a human being.

Here are some other points to consider:

The authors of this paper looked at 156 mice, not people. The mice in the experimental group were fed a dry “chow” with the amount of sugars – fructose and glucose – representing 25 percent of their daily caloric intake for life.  In contrast, recent government data shows that sugar-sweetened beverages account for only 7 percent of the calories in the average American’s diet.  Additionally, added sugars from all sources have been shown to account for only 16 percent, on average, of total calories consumed. Although the authors allege an increase in mortality among the mice, the average human life expectancy in the United States has continued to rise over the past several decades – regardless of levels of sugar, or sugar-sweetened beverage, consumption. The authors also note that the amount of energy intake from sugars fed to the mice is equivalent to three cans of soda; yet this amount of sugars could come from any food or beverage source.

So, when you read these sensational headlines, we encourage you to think it all through – and use some common sense – before making a conclusion about soft drinks.

Soda is a hot topic.  Help us clear up the misinformation!