We’ve all heard it before. Soda is bad for your health, but what is the science behind these claims? What is in soda that is so bad for your body? As it turns out, there are many reasons why you should avoid drinking soda, especially if you drink it on an everyday basis.
Soda is terrible for the health of your teeth
Something that you may not have thought of before is that soda can be extremely damaging to your dental health. Here’s why: to get that classic fizzy effect a lot of acids has to be added in a can of soda. Citric acid, carbolic acid, and phosphoric acid can be found in soda. These acids can erode the enamel of your teeth, wearing away the outer covering that protects your teeth. This is particularly troubling because once the enamel is gone you can never grow it back or reverse the damage you have done to your teeth.
They can cause kidney problems
A study from Osaka University in Japan has showed that soda can have negative effects on kidney health. The results from their study of 8,000 individuals showed that those who drank two or more sodas a day developed an abnormal amount of proteins in urine which increases the chance of kidney disease.
Studies show it increases the risk of gout
A gout is a form of arthritis, and now studies are linking gout to the consumption of soda. 80,000 women were studied for 22 years. Those who consumed soda daily had %75 higher risk of gout than those who didn’t consume soda daily. A study of men showed that the men who drank two or more sodas per day had a %85 higher risk of gout.
Sugary drinks like soda increase the threat of dementia
Dementia is the most common form of Alzheimer’s disease. This disease can cause individuals to lose memory and awareness of their environment. Studies have shown that high blood sugar levels can cause dementia, and as soda is full of sugar it can also lead to a higher risk of dementia.
Soda can increase your chances of developing diabetes
A 2010 study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health shows that, individuals who drink one to two cans of soda a day, have a %26 higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes than those who don’t drink sugary drinks on the daily basis.
They cause weight gain
While glucose has its place in a healthy diet, an excess of sugar is surely a cause of weight gain. However many sodas do not contain glucose, and they are made using fructose. Unlike glucose that can be harnessed by many parts of your body, your body doesn’t have much use for fructose. The bulk of fructose goes to the liver and is processed as fat, causing weight gain.
Soda can lead to sugar addiction
You’ve probably known someone who can’t stop drinking soda because they’re addicted to it if you haven’t been yourself. While some people are already predisposed to addiction sugar can be highly addictive. Some scientists even have uncovered research that suggests that our bodies have evolved to crave sugar, due to the need that our bodies have for glucose. Regardless, too much sugar has a plethora of negative consequences for the body.
Sodas present no healthy fuel
One of the biggest reasons why you should steer clear of sodas is because they don’t present your body with any nutrients or healthy fuel. The only things that soda adds to your body are those that you should be avoiding. When you drink a can of soda, you aren’t consuming anything except empty calories and sugar. There’s no reason you should be drinking soda.
In conclusion
There are many studies that advertise the negative effects that soda has on health. A 2011 study conducted by the Associated Press revealed that the average American consumes over 44 gallons of soda per year. This is a shocking number considering what we know about soda and its lack of nutritional value.
However, what is even more shocking is that adults aren’t just making these poor decisions for themselves but also for their children. Eating habits, especially those concerning sugar are hard to break. Most people carry the eating habits that they formed in their childhood throughout the rest of their lives.
Sodas, like any sugary food, aren’t necessarily harmful when consumed on occasion, but if they are drunk on a daily basis science has proved that the human body suffers.
References
https://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/general-health/how-to-break-diet-soda-addiction.html
Author bio:
Meighan Sembrano is an author at Consumer Health Digest. She has a keen interest in writing. She has contributed many beauty related articles in many popular websites. She has done her Mass Communication degree. She now lives in Washington DC. She is a social worker who spends her free time searching about life, healthy, beauty and lifestyle fitness related articles. She is fond of travelling and trekking. To know more about her, follow her on Facebook and Twitter.