We’ve posted in the past on how diet beverages have been shown in research to actually increase belly fat and complications for diabetes. Now there’s new research that suggests that drinking diet soda can be linked to these effects and also to weight gain.

As more and more consumers move away from sugary soft drinks, they turn to diet drinks thinking that artificially-sweetened beverages would help them lead healthier lives by controlling their weight and reducing their risk for diabetes and heart disease. The latest research is showing that this assumption does not appear to be the case.

Meghan Azad, a researcher at the University of Manitoba, reviewed dozens of studies about the long-term health effects of sugar substitutes, trying to see whether there was a prevailing trend on the health effects of diet beverages. He found that not only were artificial sweeteners suspect when it came to weight management, but people who drank them routinely had an increased body mass index and risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

His studies of the available research concluded that “non-nutritive” (artificial) sweeteners (are) significantly associated with modest long-term increases in body weight, BMI and waist circumference.”

Belly fat, or visceral fat, has been linked to a greater chance of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. High waist circumference is also one component of metabolic syndrome, a constellation of health risk factors that also includes high triglycerides, blood pressure and blood glucose.

Researchers have not yet agreed on why diet beverages cause these effects but one thing is clear. Syfo, made from purified water and naturally flavored with no sugar, artificial sweeteners, sodium, preservatives or other additives, is the sensible, tasty and healthy choice.

You can read more about Azad’s research in this Washington Post article.

Tell your friends about Syfo!

If you love cats, you won’t want to miss this. Syfo is proud to sponsor this year’s charity gala supporting the Cat Network, with featured guest John Fulton of Animal Planet’s Must Love Cats. The event will be held on Saturday, November 11, 2017, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the University of Miami’s elegant Robert and Judi Prokop Newman Alumni Center, 6200 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, Florida 33146.

The gala is a fun way to support a worthy cause. It will help raise money and awareness for the Cat Network’s efforts to reduce cat over-population through educating the public about the need to sterilize their pets and community cats. The Network also provides access to low-cost spay/neuter services for stray, homeless and abandoned cats; helps members in their efforts to place adoptable cats in loving homes; and advocates non-lethal population control and humane public policy.

So join us on November 11. There will be wine, hors d’oeuvres, cuisine, music, a silent auction, raffles and of course plenty of Syfo Naturally Flavored Sparkling Waters on hand. Admission to the event will be $75.00. To make a reservation, please e-mail info@thecatnetwork.org.

Millennials are poised to become the most dominant demographic in the country and experts and recent data suggest that they are driving the rapid rise of  bottled water sales.

According to the latest research from Beverage Market Corp., in 2016, the bottled water  category (including sparkling water) overtook soda sales for the first time capping a remarkable decade-long period of rapid growth. And it appears that millennials are one of the driving forces away from soda to healthier alternatives. This trend is likely to strengthen as millennials take more prominent roles both as  consumers and decision-makers in the beverage industry.

The change can be seen throughout all delivery channels, from national and regional grocery chains, to outlets like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s that cater to health-conscious consumers, and right down to the micro and vending markets. Elyssa Steiner, director of marketing for Cantaloupe Systems underscores this point in a recent article in Vending Times: “I’m a millennial and I don’t drink soda; I primarily drink water and I’m surrounded by people in my age group who drink huge amounts of low-calorie or no-calorie sparkling waters…”

We’ve seen this trend right here at Syfo as more and more millennials are discovering our delicious natural flavors and enjoying our sparkling waters with creative beverage recipes that they share.

Can’t find Syfo in your market area? Click here to request that your favorite store carry Syfo, or visit our online store. Are you a grocer who would like to carry Syfo? Email us at customerservice@syfobeverages.com.