Is the sugar fix in? Groups take the cash

Q: Is it true that some of our national health organizations are accepting money from the sugar industry? Isn’t that a conflict of interest? — JoAnn F., Columbus, Missouri

A: Between 2011 and 2014 the Coca-Cola Company spent on average more than $6 million per year, PepsiCo spent more than $3 million annually, and the American Beverage Association spent more than $1 million per year on lobbying efforts that included 96 national public-health groups. At the same time, these companies were lobbying against 29 public-health bills that would have imposed a tax on sodas and mandated advertising restrictions. Those companies spent a lot more in 2009, when they successfully fought the 2009 federal soda tax.

The idea of tax on sugary beverages is again gaining ground in the United States since Great Britain passed a levy on sugar-sweetened beverages starting in 2018. Would a U.S. national SSB tax reduce sugar consumption (it’s an astounding 66 pounds per year per person!), save lives and be a fountain of tax dollars for national health care?

Q: My grandmother is 92 and as sharp as ever, but she is worried because her blood pressure has become a bit high (135/80). She’s talking about cutting back on her daily walks, but I am not sure if she should. What do you advise? — Carmen D., Springfield, Illinois

A: First, tell your grandmother to continue walking because that decreases overall health risks including those from high blood pressure and because she might have hit the golden age goodhealth jackpot. A recent study out of UC Irvine found that among adults 80 to 89, the onset (that means they did not have it before) of hypertension is associated with a lower risk of dementia.

And those who developed hypertension after age 90 have the lowest dementia risk of all the groups studied!

The operating hypothesis is that for the elderly, the increased blood pressure allows for sufficient blood and oxygen flow to the brain, which keeps it functioning well. Tell her to ask her doctor about that.

A recent study from the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System has shown that exercise and the resulting cardio fitness promotes “positive memory performance” in aging adults.

If she sits around, she might shorten her telomere length (they’re proteins on the end of your DNA that protect it from damage). Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare.com.