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WHY ARE SOFT DRINKS BAD FOR YOUR
HEALTH?
Soft drinks are carbonated beverages. They are
commonly also known as soda, soda pop, pop or
tonic. While occasional consumption of these
types of beverages may not cause any negative
effects, drinking them on a regular basis is not
healthy. Eliminating them from your diet
altogether is the best way to prevent associated
health problems.
Obesity
Non-diet soft drinks contain high amounts of sugar
which adds calories to the daily diet. Regular
consumption of soft drinks has been linked to
obesity in both adults and children, states the
American Dietetic Association. Soft drinks as well
as energy or sports drinks, sweetened teas, fruit
juices and other high-calorie beverages, can lead
to increased body mass index as well. Obesity and
a high body mass index are risk factors for many
chronic health problems such as heart disease,
diabetes and some forms of cancer. While still not
a healthy alternative, substituting diet soda for
regular soda will at least reduce caloric intake and
can help to shed unwanted pounds. However, a
better solution is to replace the soda, with caloriefree water and three servings of low-fat or fat-free
milk per day.
Diabetes
Consuming soft
drinks on a
regular basis
may also
contribute to a
higher risk of
developing
diabetes, warns the American Academy of Family
Physicians. The sweeteners and caramel coloring
added to soft drinks, may decrease insulin
sensitivity. When the body becomes less sensitive
to insulin, blood glucose levels can rise and
diabetes can occur. Unlike water or low-fat milk,
soda does not leave the body feeling full. This
means that drinking soda adds calories to the daily
diet, but does not curb hunger, both of which can
lead to ingesting too many calories. This, in turn,
raises the risk of diabetes.
Heart Disease
Since drinking soda adds sugar and calories to the
diet, it may also raise the risk of developing
metabolic syndrome, which raises the risk of a
heart attack or stroke, reports the National
Institutes of Health. Metabolic syndrome is
diagnosed when waist size is greater than or equal
to 35 inches for women or 40 inches for men,
when fasting blood glucose level is100 mg/dL or
higher, when triglyceride levels are 150 mg/dL or
higher and when blood pressure is greater than or
equal to 135/85 mmHg. Having levels of beneficial
cholesterol, called high density lipoproteins or
HDL, that are below 40mg/dL for men or 50 mg/dL
for women, is another diagnosing factor. It is also
important to note that diet soft drinks also appear
to contribute to this problem. This is because
those who drink soda of any kind tend to eat an
unhealthy diet that is high in fat and calories.
Tooth Decay
Ingesting sugar can contribute to tooth decay
because acid is produced when bacteria enters the
mouth and mixes with sugar. When the acid
attacks the teeth for 20 minutes or more and
causes plaque buildup on the teeth and gums, it
leads to tooth decay. While it is not necessary to
cut out consumption of naturally occurring sugars
from healthy foods such as dairy products, fruits
and vegetables, it
is important to
limit intake of
processed sugary
foods, such as
soda, that do not
provide any
nutritional value.
STOP DRINKING
FIZZY DRINKS!!