5 Major Reasons You Should Be Pouring Your Soda Down The Drain
Majority of Americans know that drinking soda is unhealthy for them. This fact was established through research conducted at the Rudd Center of Food Policy and Obesity Study at Yale University. But despite this fact, almost 48% of Americans drink soda daily and a lot of it. The average intake of soda is around 2.6 glasses per day. (These mentioned stats were obtained from a Gallup poll.)
Hopefully, knowing what drinking soda can do to the body will help people lower their intake of soda and drastically improve their health.
Weight Gain
The most obvious of all the effects of soda is weight gain from sugar. Soda typically contains a very large amount of sugar which, unfortunately, can be consumed in a very short time span.
In a twenty-year-long study, weight gain from soda intake was studied with a group of over 120,000 individuals. The study found, people who partake of drinks with a higher sugar concentration per twelve ounce serving a day, over time gain more weight. For every 4 years, they gained an extra pound on average. Compact this with most adults gaining an average of 1.5 pounds every year, and most people are gaining weight rather quickly. (It may not sound like it, but it is.)
And we all know that obesity and weight gain can lead to a number of problems, such as early death and cancer.
Cell Damage
Diet sodas are often considered safe and are consumed widely.
However, most people don’t know that diet sodas contain mold inhibitors. They are compounds which serve as preservatives such as sodium or potassium benzoate. These can be very harmful as they may damage the DNA.
Diet sodas often contain aspartame, which is the worst alternative sugar on the market. It has been linking with my health issues, including Alzheimer’s.
Soda Increases Risk Of Heart Disease And Diabetes
A study conducted by the University of Minnesota found, an average intake of one soda can per day often indicates a 36% raise in an individual’s risk of getting type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
The term metabolic syndrome represents a collection of diseases which include increased levels of glucose or blood sugar levels, high blood pressure, and raised cholesterol. These conditions increase the risk for stroke, heart attack, and diabetes.
Chicken Bone Experiment
The chicken bone experiment is often used to show high school students the negative effects of drinking soda.
In this experiment a chicken bone is left for several days in a bowl of soda. Observers can see the changes as they are occurring to the chicken bone. The chicken bone becomes weaker as time passes. And it is medically proven that soda can make the bones brittle and weak.
This experiment demonstrates the effects of soda on bones, especially teeth. The consumption of soda, therefore, causes cavities and tooth decay.
The Financial Cost Analysis
One of the most unconsidered effects of soda is how much money is spent on it. A typical person consumes 216 liters of soda per year. If the soda was purchased only at a vending machine, it would cost them about $550 per year. Alternatively, if this same amount was put into a retirement account at a 7% annual interest rate for 30 years it would generate $60,000!
It certainly sounds as if the little sweet treat is costing you a comfy retirement!
Giving up on soda will not improve your health immediately, so it is helpful to partake of extra vitamins that will aid your body in its recovery. To learn more about what vitamins you need to recover from the side effect of soda, check out (whatever).
References:
The Nutrition Source. (2018). Soft Drinks and Disease. [online] Available at: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/soft-drinks-and-disease/ [Accessed 4 Dec. 2018].