Most likely you already know that drinking sodas is not a very healthy choice. Those beverages are not only devoid of any nutritional value but the sugars/ artificial sweeteners are linked to obesity and diabetes. Soft drinks are nothing but colored sugar water.
Here are some reasons to quit sodas once and for all:
[1] http://www.healthyhorns.utexas.edu/n_dietsoda.html
[2] http://www.fasebj.org/content/28/1_Supplement/257.7 and http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/84/4/936.full
Tags: soft drinks sodas beverage artificial sweetener aspartame sweet n low stevia obesity and diabetes sugar fructose dental problems teeth cavities Mountain Dew Mouth cola E338 orthophosphoric phosphoric acid phosphates calcium osteoporosis bone mineral density BMD hypocalcemia GMO genetically modified crops
Here are some reasons to quit sodas once and for all:
- It goes without saying that sugary soft drinks are especially harmful to the still developing bodies of small children. Children who drink regular soft drinks on a daily basis end up with lots of cavities caused by the drink's excessive sugar levels.
- Drinking non-diet soda may leads to increases in fat buildup around your liver and your skeletal muscles, both of which can contribute to insulin resistance and diabetes.
- Diet sodas could cause weight gain, too. The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio found that people who drink diet soda are likely to gain, not lose, weight. In a separate study, the same researchers conducted experiments on mice that results suggested that it was the aspartame, which raised blood glucose levels that caused the weight gain; when your liver encounters too much glucose, the excess is converted to body fat. [1]
- Many popular soft drinks like Coke and Pepsi contain artificial caramel coloring. Two contaminants in the coloring, 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole, have been found to cause cancer in animals. According to California's strict Proposition 65 list of chemicals known to cause cancer, just 16 micrograms per person per day of 4-methylimidazole is enough to pose a cancer threat, and most popular brown colas, both diet and regular, contain 200 micrograms per 20-ounce bottle.
- Colas -regardless of diet or regular- contain phosphates, or phosphoric acid. This weak acid gives these beverages their tangy flavor and improves their shelf life. Due to the use of phosphoric acid, cola is actually more acidic than lemon juice. Lots of sugar or artificial sweeteners are necessary to mask and balance the acidity. Too much phosphoric acid can lead to hypocalcemia (low serum calcium levels in the blood) and negatively affect bone density. [2] Aside from the risk of osteoporosis, cola consumption has also been linked to chronic kidney disease and kidney stones.
Note: Phosphorus-containing substances occur naturally (0.1%-0.5%) in foods such as milk, meat, poultry, fish, nuts, and egg yolks. Only a small fraction of the phosphate in the American diet comes from additives in cola. Most comes from meat and dairy products. - In order to prevent the flavoring from separating from the drink, brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is added to soft drinks. Often found in citrus-based soft drinks and sports drinks, the chemical has been known to cause memory loss and nerve disorders when consumed in large quantities. Researchers also suspect that the chemical could build up in body fat, over time possibly causing infertility.
- A lot of the ingredients in soft drinks are derived from corn. The vast majority of the corn grown in the U.S. is genetically modified to resist toxic pesticides or engineered to create pesticides within the plant itself. So far, there are no human studies that can prove or disprove whether these genetically modified crops (GMO) are safe.
- In order to keep the acids in the drink from reacting with the metal of the can, most soda cans are lined with an epoxy resin called Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is known to interfere with hormones, and has been linked to obesity and diabetes as well as infertility and some forms of reproductive cancers.
- However, before you think about just switching from cans to bottles, consider that most plastic bottles do not find their way into the recycling system and thus end up in landfills.
- The artificial sweeteners used in diet sodas could actually not only be harmful to your body, but also the environment because they go right through wastewater-treatment plants and thus enter waterways. In 2009, Swiss scientists tested water samples from wastewater-treatment plants, rivers and lakes in Switzerland and detected levels of acesulfame K, sucralose, and saccharin, all of which are, or have been, used in diet sodas. A recent test of 19 municipal water supplies in the U.S. revealed the presence of sucralose in every one. It's not clear yet what these low levels are doing to people, but past research has found that sucralose in rivers and lakes interferes with some organisms' feeding habits.
[1] http://www.healthyhorns.utexas.edu/n_dietsoda.html
[2] http://www.fasebj.org/content/28/1_Supplement/257.7 and http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/84/4/936.full
Tags: soft drinks sodas beverage artificial sweetener aspartame sweet n low stevia obesity and diabetes sugar fructose dental problems teeth cavities Mountain Dew Mouth cola E338 orthophosphoric phosphoric acid phosphates calcium osteoporosis bone mineral density BMD hypocalcemia GMO genetically modified crops