People eat and drink unhealthy things all the time. Some people are aware of the consequences, while others are not. Some know the consequences of these foods, but just don’t give a damn. This article isn’t about food, though. It is about a common drink that millions of people consume every day.
Roughly 25% of all drinks sold in America are soft drinks. Even though soda sales took a dive in recent years, about one-third of Americans drink soda or other sugary drinks. Since these drinks are typically marketed to people who are 18-24, it doesn’t set them up for a healthy future. Drinking soda can increase a person’s risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
The sugar content in a 12oz can of soda is roughly eight teaspoons. Most companies don’t use real sugar and use high fructose corn syrup instead. The sugar content scares some people away and they turn to diet sodas, which are actually worse. Diet sodas or juices contain artificial sweeteners, which are typically 300 times sweeter than regular sugar.
Soda And Your Bones
A lot of sodas contain caffeine and phosphoric acid. If you have too much phosphorus in your system, your body can’t properly absorb calcium. Additionally, the phosphoric acid in soda may cause calcium to leak out of your bones.
A study was conducted with 1,413 women and 1,125 men to see what the bone mineral density (BMD) was after regular consumption of soda. The results showed that soda reduced bone density, especially the BMD in the hips of females because that area is more susceptible to bone loss. This means that you should try to avoid soda because it may increase your risk of osteoporosis or diseases that inhibit calcium absorption, for example, Crohn’s disease.
Liver Damage
Outside of drinking alcohol, soda is one of the worst things for your liver. Continuous consumption of soda can increase your risk of cirrhosis.
Kidney Stones & Disease
Remember that phosphoric acid content in soda we mentioned earlier? Well, it can affect the urinary tract and the health of your kidneys. If you drink a 12oz can of soda every day, you can increase your risk of developing kidney stones by 15%.
Tooth Decay
Because soda has so much sugar, your oral health is at risk every time you drink soda. Damaging tooth enamel, the acid and chemicals in soda can be worse for your teeth than candy.
What To Drink Instead?
It can be hard to train your palate to not crave soda. Some people are addicted to it! It is important to have other options to replace the soda. Drinking detox waters can help you rid your diet of soda, or various herbal teas can also be beneficial. If you make a large batch of herbal tea, you can store it in the fridge and have iced tea for days.
