Effects of soft drink and table beer consumption on insulin response in normal teenagers and carbohydrate drink in youngsters

There is ample evidence that breast cancer susceptibility is induced during the developmental stages of the human breast where, in a manner related to sex-steroid hormones, insulin plays an important role. In turn, nutrition might be implicated. Regular soft drinks and table beer, both carbohydrate- containing drinks, are candidates affecting insulin concentrations. Eleven teenagers, between the ages of 13 and 17 years, consumed a soft drink and a table beer in a crossover study. The blood levels of insulin and glucose w ere related to antropomorphometric and endocrine factors. In contrast to ta ble beer, consumption of regular soft drinks induced a fast and dramatic in crease in both glucose and insulin concentration within a maximum 1/2 hour after consumption. The insulin response was linearly correlated to the body mass index (BMI), Children with a small increase in BMI are highly sensiti ve to regular soft drinks with regard to glucose and insulin response. The finding suggests a vicious circle of high caloric drinks, increase in BMP a nd insulin response. It is one of the nutritional pathways which might affe ct susceptibility for breast cancer in youngsters. Table beer, a drink with fermented sugars, does not share these effects on carbohydrate metabolism. (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.