Short and sweet

Drinking sweetened beverages does not cause an increased risk of heart disease, not based on the study in your report or any other study in the available science. (“Soft drinks ‘raise heart disease risk’”, 13 March).

It is not possible to reach such a conclusion from an epidemiological study of this sort, nor can one neglect lifestyle factors such as stress. There are all kinds of lifestyle changes over the 22-year study period involving men aged 40 to 75 that need to be taken into account.

The World Health Organisation records the major causes of cardiovascular disease as being tobacco use, physical inactivity, an unhealthy diet and harmful use of alcohol.

People should avoid the excessive consumption of any food and drink, following instead a balanced diet and an active lifestyle.

The soft drinks industry offers a wide range of diet, low calorie and no-added-sugar drinks, with full nutritional information on each, so that people can choose soft drinks as part of their balanced diet.

Richard Laming

Media Director

British Soft Drinks Association