According to many surveys, Americans today are drinking significantly more soda than before. Soda drinks have a 25% share of the beverage market in America. This means that more than 20 billion gallons of soda are consumed each year which is about one 12 oz can a day for every citizen of the US.
Obviously, soda drinks can be quite refreshing, but the following information will make you think twice before you buy soda:
1. Weight Gain
According to many researchers, soda is one of the main factors that lead to overweight and obesity. Consumption of only one can of sugary beverages per day leads to one pound of weight gain every 30 days. What is interesting is that diet soda will provide similar results as regular soda. People who drink diet sodas tend to drink more sodas or eat more. On top of that, artificial sweeteners trigger reactions from hormones and this is another reason why passionate diet soda drinkers get extra pounds.
2. Liver Issues
Soda is bad for your liver. Drinking excessive amounts of soft drinks will increase the chances of developing liver cirrhosis. The effects are similar to drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.
3. Tooth Deterioration
This drink damages the enamel. Sodas increase the chances of tooth decay occurrence by two or even three times. The acidity level of soda drinks is more dangerous than the activity of sugar in common candies.
4. Chronic Kidney Disease, Kidney Stones, and Other Kidney Problems
There are different types of colas on the market and all of them come with large amounts of phosphoric acid. This compound can alter the urine and support the formation of kidney stones. Taking 2.5 12 oz cans of soda a week can raise the chances of experiencing kidney stones by 15%.
5. Type 2 Diabetes
Any food or drink that leads to weight gain also raises the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Consumption of soda will lower the ability of your body to process sugar. Many experts believe that this is the reason why the number of Americans suffering from diabetes has increased three times in the last 30 years.
6. Acid Reflux and Heartburn
Drinking too much soda can lead to heartburn too. The majority of soda drinks have very high acidic levels. In addition, they bring air inside our body, or carbon dioxide to be more precise and this gas can result in distension in the digestive system. Distension has been linked to acid reflux.
7. Osteoporosis
Soft drinks that have phosphoric acid in them are associated with osteoporosis. This disease weakens the skeletal structure. Phosphoric acid presence results in a reduction of calcium content in the body and very high phosphate content in the blood. This combination leads to the withdrawal of calcium from the bones.
8. High Blood Pressure
Scientists claim that drinking too much soda can result in hypertension. Both diet and regular soda can lead to this problem.
9. Heart Disease
Passionate soda fans increase their chances to witness certain risk factors that lead to heart disease. Studies have confirmed that the consumption of more than one soft drink per day is linked to increased chances of witnessing metabolic syndrome. This syndrome includes problems like high blood pressure, obesity, blood sugar level fluctuation, increased level of triglycerides, and low levels of good cholesterol. If you have only three of these signs and symptoms the chances to develop heart disease or diabetes are much higher.
10. Gastrointestinal Distress
Impaired digestion or gastrointestinal distress is a health problem that involves raised acid levels in the stomach and serious gastric inflammation. In some cases, stomach lining decay is present too. Consumption of soft drinks, especially when you are hungry, can disrupt the balance of acid levels and alkaline levels in the stomach which can lead to an extended acid environment. On the other hand, this situation can result in stomach inflammation.
The truth is that nutritionists, doctors, and other experts have triggered the alarm because of sodas a long time ago, but in case you had doubts, the reasons mentioned before should make you avoid these drinks.
According to some experts, soda is one of the most dangerous drinks and foods you can use. Remember that fat has 2.5 times more calories compared to sugar, but the food that we get the majority of calories from is corn sugar or HFCS.
USDA has recently reported that Americans consume 40 pounds of HFCS a year on average. Most of this sugar comes from soda. What is even worse is that HFCS from soda drinks is the main source of calories in America.
Starting from the 70s, food companies have replaced their table sugar sweeteners with high fructose corn syrup because it was inexpensive.
Even though this corn syrup is only 10-20% sweeter compared to regular table sugar, this percentage has significantly affected the average diet of Americans.
But, everything is not so bad. It is not very difficult to quit drinking soft drinks and your body will quickly remove all the negative effects of this habit. Keep reading to learn more about this problem and how you can boost your health by throwing out soda from your eating pattern.
As a matter of fact, quitting soda drinking can be more useful than quitting smoking and this is a fact that many doctors don’t want to highlight.
How Can This be True?
Well, soda can increase insulin levels, and high insulin levels are the basis of almost every dangerous disease. Some of these diseases are:
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Arthritis
- Premature aging
- Osteoporosis
We have already highlighted ten serious problems associated with drinking soda, but the truth is that there is another health issue that can be related to soda, and experts avoid discussing this problem. Of course, we are talking about cancer.
Soda Consumers Are increasing Chances of Developing Certain Types of Cancer
Several scientific studies have proven that there is a connection between sugar and the risk of cancer which means that lowering sugar intake can prevent tumors or slow down their progress in case they are already present.
One scientific study like this included ten healthy individuals. These individuals were tested for fasting blood glucose levels and neutrophils’ phagocytic index. This index is here to determine the body’s ability to fight off foreign bodies like cancers.
Taking about 100 grams of carbs originating from honey, sucrose, glucose, and raw orange juice has lowered the ability of neutrophils to submerge bacteria.
Another scientific study that lasted for four years conducted by the National Institute of Public Health in the Netherlands analyzed the results of more than 400 controls in more than 100 patients suffering from biliary tract cancer. The study has confirmed that the risk of cancer linked to sugar intake has increased two times for cancer patients.
Several studies have found a connection between sugar intake and specific types of cancer:
Throat cancer: This cancer is very difficult to cure. 9 out of 10 patients with this cancer die after five years of their diagnosis. Studies have confirmed that people who consume soda have an increased chance of developing throat cancer. They were able to identify a relationship between the increasing number of esophageal cancer cases and individuals that consume soft drinks.
Breast cancer: A scientific study conducted in 21 developed countries that focused on mortality and morbidity rates has shown that sugar intake is a serious factor that leads to increased breast cancer rates, especially in women over 50.
Colon cancer: Another study has revealed that women who have greater glycemic load may raise the chances of developing NCBI. The time needed for the body to convert carbs in food to sugars is known as the glycemic index. On the other hand, glycemic load compares the glycemic index to the number of carbs per portion of the same food.
This study included about 40.000 women monitored for more than 7 years. They have regularly filled out forms about their eating patterns, so scientists could check the link between glycemic index, glycemic load, fiber, carbs, non-fiber carbs, fructose, and sucrose with the occurrence of colon cancer.
The final results were amazing. It turned out that women who consumed foods with high glycemic load had 300% more chances of developing colon cancer.
Are You Ready To Drastically Improve Your Health?
If the answer is yes, use pure water instead of soda and similar sugary drinks.
Stabilizing insulin levels is a very useful move that will improve your overall health and reduce the chances of developing cancer and many other dangerous diseases.
In addition to a healthy diet, don’t forget physical activity.
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