While the number of highly processed foods have increased, the health stats have declined even further. While processed foods are to blame, there is another item that has been flying under the health raider, sodas. These fizzy drinks may not be a part of your daily life, but they are worse than you think! One of the biggest appeals of sodas and beverages is that sugary and fizzy taste of them. Because they are easier to consume and the sugary taste has an addictive effect, people buy more and more of it, without realizing that amount of sugar.

One thing that made people realize how much sugar they had been consuming was when videos of people boiling these fizzy drinks surfaced. Those videos showed that as soon as all the liquid vapored off, the residue was just burnt sugar.

Sugary drinks like sodas and, energy drinks are popular worldwide, but new research shows they're seriously harming our health. These drinks are linked to millions of new cases of diabetes and heart disease each year. Sadly, developing countries are hit the hardest. This study shows how big of a problem sugary drinks are globally and why we need to do something about it. It’s a call to action for better health worldwide.

Sugary Drinks, Diabetes, and Heart Disease

Sugary drinks are beverages with added sugars, like soda, juice drinks, and sweetened teas. While sales are down in some places, they're rising in others. Researchers studied millions of people across many countries and found a strong link between drinking these beverages and developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. These drinks contribute to a significant number of new cases each year, especially in certain parts of the world. This means that cutting back on these drinks could greatly improve health globally.

Sugary drinks are quickly digested because they're liquid, causing a fast rise in blood sugar. They also pack a lot of calories without making you feel full, which can lead to overeating. Unlike other treats, they don't offer much nutrition besides sugar. This combination of factors can lead to weight gain, problems with how your body uses sugar (insulin resistance), and other health issues that increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease. It’s not just about the calories, but the type of calories and how our bodies process them.

Sodas have an addictive nature because the main ingredients are caffeine and sugar. The reason why people like consuming them is because they were built to trigger the release of dopamine in the brain. The hormone dopamine is a feel-good hormone that makes you feel happy and good, which makes you feel like consuming it more!

What We Can Do to Cut Back on Sugary Drinks

To protect our health, we should drink fewer sugary drinks. Healthier options include water, unsweetened tea or coffee, and sparkling water. Even diet soda is a better choice than regular soda, but it's best to limit those too. Reading labels is important to know what you’re drinking. Governments can also help by taxing sugary drinks, putting warning labels on them, and restricting their sale in places like schools. These actions can make a big difference in reducing consumption and improving public health. There are many ways you can avoid getting addicted to sugary drinks,

Avoid Using It As A Reward

When you give the position of a reward to things, you are actively making your brain think it is a good thing and that can trigger a dependence on it.

Don’t Use It To Make You Feel Happy

We all have days when you feel low and do not like how things are going, in days like those you feel like having a comfort food or drink, which can make it a crutch and is a one way street to addiction

Drink A Lot Of Water

Staying hydrated is one of the best ways to keep your addiction as bay, sometimes you may as well need some water to keep you straight and not stray from their path.

McMaster University’s release names packaged snack foods, sugary breakfast cereals, soft drinks, instant noodles and ready-to-eat frozen meals as examples of ultra-processed food.

What counts as ultra-processed

Chips, sweet breakfast cereals, processed sweet yogurts, soft drinks, instant noodles and frozen ready meals all fall under the ultra-processed category, according to Russell de Souza, a health research professor at McMaster University and registered dietitian, speaking to CTV News.

What the study found

McMaster University’s release names packaged snack foods, sugary breakfast cereals, soft drinks, instant noodles and ready-to-eat frozen meals as examples of ultra-processed food.

The study was led by McMaster’s Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) and enrolled nearly 9,000 Canadians aged 35 to 69 with no history of heart disease, according to McMaster. Participants came from two PHRI studies, the Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds and the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology-MIND study. Each completed detailed dietary questionnaires and had an MRI brain scan, reviewed by neurologists who didn’t know their diets.

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Published October 15 in JAMA Network Open, the study found that participants with the highest intake were 40 per cent more likely to show tiny areas of brain damage than those who ate the least, per McMaster. These changes cause no obvious symptoms. They are considered early warning signs that can appear years before a stroke or memory problems.

Ultra-processed food made up about 25 per cent of participants’ daily food servings on average. For the heaviest consumers it was 45 per cent, compared with 16 per cent for the lowest group, McMaster reported.

Ultra-processed food made up about 25 per cent of participants’ daily food servings on average. For the heaviest consumers it was 45 per cent, compared with 16 per cent for the lowest group, McMaster reported. As intake rose, whole-food intake fell. Fruits, vegetables, grains and other minimally processed foods made up 41 per cent of daily servings in the highest-intake group, against 68 per cent in the lowest. Russell J. de Souza said this suggests ultra-processed foods displaced healthier whole foods rather than simply being eaten on top of a usual diet.

“I would not have expected this finding, frankly,” said de Souza, who is also an associate scientist at PHRI. The participants were middle-aged Canadians with no heart problems and no other reported health concerns, he noted. He added that this kind of damage is usually associated with conditions seen at a much older age, according to McMaster.

A stronger link in women

The association between ultra-processed food and brain damage appeared stronger among women. Those in the highest consumption group were nearly twice as likely to show signs of brain damage as those in the lowest, according to McMaster.

Participants with the highest intake also carried more body fat and more deep belly fat. McMaster’s release says this fat is linked to inflammation and blood vessel damage that can also reach the brain.

Senior author Sonia Anand, a senior scientist at PHRI, said the findings suggest the link between diet and brain health may be detectable before people notice memory or thinking problems. She said it adds to evidence that what Canadians eat from their 30s through their 60s shapes brain health later in life, per McMaster.

Correlation, not yet proof

Because participants were assessed only once and not followed over time, the researchers couldn’t determine whether ultra-processed food directly causes these brain changes, McMaster noted. De Souza said longer-term studies with repeated MRI scans are needed to find out whether cutting back can slow or prevent them. He said such follow-up is ongoing.

Speaking to CTV News, Anand said some participants whose diets were more than 45 per cent ultra-processed showed a combination of silent stroke and a pre-stroke profile. She said the team observed an independent effect of ultra-processed food on the damage seen in the scans. In the same interview, de Souza acknowledged that avoiding these foods isn’t equally easy for everyone, with many people struggling to make ends meet. He encouraged eating at home, buying local and using supermarket sales. Some participants are now returning for follow-up MRIs, with results expected in early 2028.

Navratri is a time of prayer, devotion and fasting for many people. While fasting is an important part of the celebration, what you eat during this period matters too. Choosing the right foods can help you stay energetic, avoid unnecessary hunger and maintain healthy blood sugar levels. A few simple changes to your fasting meals can make a real difference.

What Should You Eat During Navratri Fasting?

Fasting does not mean you have to compromise on nutrition. Instead of depending mainly on potatoes, sabudana and fried snacks, try including a variety of foods in your meals.

Some healthier choices include:

• Fresh fruits: Apples, guavas, pears and oranges provide vitamins, minerals and fibre. Choose whole fruits instead of juices.
• Vegetables: Cucumber, bottle gourd and pumpkin can add variety and nutrients to fasting meals.
• Protein-rich foods: Curd, paneer, milk and nuts help keep you satisfied for longer.
• Fasting grains: Buckwheat (kuttu) and amaranth (rajgira), where permitted, can be included in moderate portions.
• Healthy fats: Use small amounts of nuts, seeds and cooking oils instead of relying on deep-fried snacks.

How to Balance Carbohydrates, Protein and Fibre

One common mistake during fasting is eating too many carbohydrate-rich foods while missing out on protein and fibre. This can leave you feeling hungry soon after a meal and may cause blood sugar levels to rise quickly.

For better balance, combine fasting grains or potatoes with protein-rich foods such as curd or paneer. Include permitted vegetables and choose whole fruits for additional fibre. Keep portions of sabudana khichdi, potato dishes and fasting flour rotis under control.

Remember, foods considered traditional or healthy during fasting can still raise blood sugar when eaten in large quantities.

Also read: Peanut Consumption Associated With Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk: Study Explains

Which Fasting Foods Should You Limit?

Sabudana, potatoes, sweets and fruit juices can raise blood sugar levels, particularly when consumed in large portions. Fried foods such as puris and pakoras can also add excess calories.

Whenever possible, choose boiled, steamed, roasted or lightly sautéed foods. Limit added sugar and avoid combining several starchy foods in the same meal.

Stay Hydrated and Watch Your Portions

Drinking enough water is important, especially if your fasting routine limits when you can eat or drink. Where permitted, unsweetened buttermilk can be another option. Avoid relying on sugary drinks to manage hunger or tiredness.

Instead of eating one very large meal after hours without food, choose moderate portions during your permitted eating periods.

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How Can People with Diabetes Fast Safely?

For people with diabetes, fasting needs extra care. Changes in meal timings and food intake can increase the risk of low or high blood sugar, as well as dehydration. The risk may be greater for those taking insulin or certain diabetes medicines.

Here are a few important precautions:

• Speak to your doctor before starting a fast.
• Discuss whether your medication timings or doses need adjustment.
• Monitor your blood sugar as advised by your healthcare team.
• Do not ignore symptoms such as sweating, dizziness, confusion or unusual thirst.
• Stop fasting and seek medical advice if your blood sugar becomes dangerously low or high, or if you feel unwell.

The takeaway: Navratri fasting can be both meaningful and mindful of your health. Simple choices, such as eating balanced meals, limiting fried foods and controlling portions, can help you feel better throughout the festival. If you have diabetes, plan your fast with your doctor to observe the tradition without putting your health at risk.

Eating peanuts may help lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Researchers have identified changes in blood fats that could help explain the association. The findings indicate that peanuts may impact the body’s lipid metabolism. The body weight also plays an important role in the association.

The study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2026, combined a dietary intervention of six months with data from a large cohort to investigate how eating peanuts changes circulating lipids and how these changes relate to cardiometabolic disease risk.

Link Between Peanut Consumption & Cardiometabolic Disease Risk

Researchers from the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke and the University of Barcelona analysed data from two studies.

The first was the ARISTOTLE clinical trial, which involved 63 healthy adults aged 18 to 33. Participants were randomly assigned to consume one of three options daily for six months: 25 grams of skin-roasted peanuts, 32 grams of peanut butter or 32 grams of control butter made with peanut oil.

Researchers measured changes in participants’ blood lipids before and after the intervention. They then examined data from the EPIC-Potsdam cohort, which followed more than 27,000 people and included information on 774 cases of newly developed type 2 diabetes and 545 cases of cardiovascular disease.

Using a technique called lipidomics, which analyses fats circulating in the blood, the team identified a pattern of lipid changes associated with peanut consumption. They called this the “peanut lipidomic signature”

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What Were The Findings?

Peanut consumption altered 51 groups of fatty acids within different lipid classes, especially lipids containing very-long-chain saturated fatty acids (VLCSFAs).

These included changes involving C22:0 and C24:0 fatty acids. Researchers found that these fatty acids were incorporated into specific lipid classes, including ceramides, suggesting that peanut consumption was linked with restructuring of the blood lipid profile rather than simply an increase in fat levels.

“This is not merely a simple increase in fat levels, but a complex 'remodeling' of the lipidome,” said first author Dr. Inés Domínguez-López.

Professor Matthias Schulze explained the significance of the findings, “By characterizing this specific peanut lipid signature, we have uncovered a potential biological marker that links dietary fat quality to metabolic outcomes.”

When researchers examined the relationship between these lipid changes and disease outcomes in the larger cohort, they found that a higher PeLS was associated with a modestly lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

For every one-standard-deviation increase in the signature, the estimated risk was 11% lower. But the signature was not associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in this analysis.

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Body Weight's Role

Body mass index (BMI) emerged as a possible explanation for much of the association between the peanut-affected lipid signature and type 2 diabetes risk.

Researchers estimated that BMI could explain approximately 89% of the observed association, although the estimate was inaccurate. This suggests that body weight or related metabolic processes may help understand the relationship.

Domínguez-López said, “This suggests that the positive metabolic effects of these specific peanut-derived lipids may be linked to their ability to support a healthier body weight or stabilize metabolic processes related to adiposity.”

Peanuts contain unsaturated fats, fibre, protein and several micronutrients, making them essential in a balanced diet. Replacing foods rich in saturated fats or highly processed snacks with unsalted peanuts may help improve overall dietary quality.

However, the findings do not prove that peanuts directly prevent diabetes. The intervention involved only 63 young, healthy adults, while the association with disease risk was assessed using a separate observational cohort. The analysis cannot establish that the lipid changes themselves caused the lower risk.