Relation between Soft Drinks and Health

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A lot of us think that hard drinks, like liquor or anything with alcohol, are the only beverages that are considered unhealthy for our body. However, soft drinks such as sodas and colas also have their share of negative side effects to our system. Unfortunately, many people consider these drinks as one of the types of foods or beverages that are hard to get rid of the diet. In fact, people who plan on losing weight takes a lot of time just to give up these refreshing drinks. But what are the cons of drinking too much soft drink? Below are some of the facts and details about soft drinks and health.

More about Soft Drinks

Soft drinks are actually one of the worst beverages that we could be drinking for our health. This is why it is very important for us to be aware of the different effects of soft drinks to our health in order for us to become responsible of what we are eating or drinking.

If we try to look at the components of these soft drinks, we can actually see that they contain little to no vitamins at all. These drinks also contain no essential nutrients. In addition to these negative or zero benefits, colas are also high in caffeine, simple sugars and carbonation. Other types of soft drinks even use sugar substitutes in order to lessen the calorie content but can instead increase the risk of health problems. Some soft drink beverages also contain food additives like artificial coloring, flavoring and preservatives that are also very hazardous to the health if taken in large amounts.

Possible Effects of Soft Drinks on your Health

Nowadays, a lot of studies have already proven the negative outcome of regular intake of soft drinks. Although this can affect anyone no matter what the age is, most individuals that exhibit the bad side effects of these drinks are the children. Some of the common health problems caused by consistent intake of soft drinks include tooth decay, nutritional depletion, obesity, type 2 diabetes and as well as a number of heart diseases.

Why is Sugar Harmful for the Body?

Sugar is not actually harmful; however, if this substance is taken in great amount or volume, it can already cause abnormalities in our body’s functioning. Once sugar is increased in the diet, which is commonly seen in soft drinks, a certain gland or organ called the pancreas will release a hormone called insulin. Insulin is very useful in transporting the sugar to the cells of the body in order for it to be utilized as an energy source. However, once the body is overindulged with sugar, the insulin levels can also increase its number, which can go beyond the normal level. This can cause the depression of the body’s immune system, which in turn weakens the system’s ability to ward off diseases and other invading pathogens. Other people with diabetes can also have problems in releasing insulin, which can result to hyperglycemia or the increase of glucose in the blood. This particular condition can also produce harmful reactions to the body.

Another common result of drinking too much soft drink is that it can cause the production of too much adipose tissue in the body. Once our body is not able to use up all the available energy or sugar in our system, this will be stored as fat tissue, which can be used later on as reserved energy. However, if our lifestyle is sedentary, these tissues can accumulate thus causing our body to become overweight and obese. This is the reason why a lot of health conscious individuals stay away from drinking these soft beverages. Aside from making us look unpleasant, gaining weight and becoming obese can also increase the risk of cancer and other types of heart diseases. A study has also produced results that show the significant decrease of WBC in the body after ingesting refined sugar. Tests on rats have also shown negative effects of high-sugar diet since this caused the rate of breast cancer to elevate compared to those with low sugar diets.

More Side Effects of Soft Drinks on your health

Most of us rely on the promises of low calorie sodas or sugar free soft drinks. However, there are already studies that show that drinking one or more soft drinks a day, whether it is regular or diet soft drinks, can still cause 30% greater chance of increasing weight gain or fat formation particularly around the belly area. Diet sodas are also filled with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin and sucralose. These substances may be low in calories but they are still considered harmful since they are also recognized as carcinogenic. Studies have even revealed the increase incidence of bladder cancer in rats who have been subjected to these types of sweeteners.

Another hazardous effect of soft drinks is that it can deplete the amount of calcium in the body and it can also produce more caffeine. Carbonation is actually the main cause of calcium depletion. Once calcium is low in the body, bone and muscle problems are most likely to occur. This means that drinking too much sodas or even carbonated water can increase the risk of having osteoporosis. Caffeine can likewise deplete calcium, which can also over stimulate the CNS or the central nervous system thus causing more stress and as well as increase the risk of insomnia. Carbonation can also cause gastric irritation since this can also increase the acidity level in the stomach.

These are just some of the most common side effects of drinking too much soft drinks to our health. It may be difficult for us to avoid drinking these refreshing beverages, but we should also keep in mind that it is a lot harder to deal with the harmful diseases that can be caused by these soft drinks.