Soda has been blamed for the obesity epidemic, and now it's being blamed for causing a new health concern for men.
Researchers already figured out that drinking soda and other sweet drinks can lead to obesity, but now a new study finds it could really hurt your heart.
For men drinking, just one 12-ounce sugar sweetened beverage a day could increase the risk of heart disease by 20 percent.
Harvard School of Public Health researchers followed more than 42,000 men between 40 and 75 years old.
In a study conducted over a 20-year-period, researchers noted the food intake of the subjects.
The study found that men could have up to two sugary drinks a week without increasing the risk of heart disease.
Also, the study found that artificial sweeteners did not increase the risk for heart disease.
“Sugar sweetened beverages increases inflammation and inflammation might be the culprit in what leads to heart disease,” explained Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, Cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital.
