Saturday, June 11, 2016

The Disadvantages of Soft Drinks : Pepsi - Coca cola - Sprite etc.

Some Injurious Health Effects of Soft Drinks: Pepsi - 7 up - Coca cola etc.

Before the 1950s, 6.5 ounces was the standard size for soda bottles. Now 20-ounce bottles are standard, but even larger 42-ounce bottles are available, meaning soft drink consumption continues to rise. According to an article published in 2011 in “Preventive Medicine,” in 2009, the average American consumed 31 gallons of regular soft drinks. The calories from the beverages are empty calories with no nutritional value. An occasional soda isn’t going to harm you, but drinking too much may lead to weight gain and health problems.
(Some call it soda. Others say soft drink, fizzy drink, soda 
pop, or just plain-old pop. There is no right word for the 
sweet carbonated beverage)







 1.    Weight Gain :

Harvard University states that the increased consumption of sugary beverages, such as soda, is a major factor in the growing obesity epidemic. A 20-ounce soda contains 240 calories while a 64-ounce soft drink contains a whopping 700 calories. Dr. Christopher Ochner, assistant professor of pediatric and adolescent medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told Fox News that if you drink a can of cola every day, you will gain 14 1/2 pounds in a year. Excessive weight gain puts you at risk for diabetes, certain cancers, arthritis, heart disease and stroke.

2. Heart Disease :


Excessive weight gain contributes to heart disease, but so too do the ingredients in soda. Dr. Mary Ann McLaughlin, medical director of the cardiac health program at Mount Sinai, told Fox News that the sodium and caffeine in soft drinks put your heart at risk. Sodium causes you to retain fluid and caffeine elevates your heart rate and blood pressure. An analysis published in 2012 in “Circulation” followed more than 42,000 men and discovered those who drank one sugary drink a day had an increased risk of heart attack compared to those who rarely or never drank sugary beverages.






 3.Diabetes :

Most people have a hard time eating just one cookie and that’s because sugar is addictive. If you drink a soft drink, your blood sugar spikes and your body produces insulin to balance that spike. Your blood sugar then crashes and you seek out more sugar-filled soda to compensate. Over time, your body becomes resistant to insulin leaving you unable to metabolize sugar and resulting in diabetes, according to Dr. Ochner. If you drink one to two soft drinks a day, you increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes by 26 percent, according to a meta-analysis published in 2010 in "Diabetes Care."






 4. Dental Problems :

If you prefer to avoid the dentist, cut back on soft drinks. The bacteria in your mouth thrive on sugar. They feed on it and produce an acid that wears away your teeth enamel causing cavities. New Jersey Dentist Dr. Howard Glazer told “Better Homes and Garden” you can cut your cavity risk in half by rinsing your mouth with water immediately after drinking soda.




  5. Gout :
Gout is a condition in which your body has too much uric acid, causing your joints to become swollen and inflamed. An analysis of data from the Nurses' Health Study, published in 2010 in the “Journal of the American Medical Association,” which followed almost 80,000 women for 22 years, reported that women who drank one sugary beverage a day had a significantly increased risk of gout compared to those who rarely drank sugary beverages.

    6. Kidney Damage:
People who down sugary drinks don't feel as full as those who consume the same amount of calories in solid food.
This theory was born out by researchers at Purdue University who, in 2000, gave 15 volunteers 450 calories a day of either soda or jelly beans for a month and then switched them for the next month, while monitoring their total calories. The candy eaters compensated for the extra calories by eating less food and maintained their weight; during the soda phase, the volunteers ate more and gained.
There is good evidence that cola beverages can increase the risk of kidney problems, more so than non-cola sodas.
Researches clearly demonstrated that large quantities of cola result in enhanced kidney stone formation. If you're wondering exactly how soft drinks cause kidney stones, it's because of their acidity and radical mineral imbalances. Your body must buffer the acidity of soft drinks with calcium from your own bones. As this calcium is eliminated through your urine, it slowly forms kidney stones.
In a study published in the journal Epidemiology, the team compared the dietary habits of 465 people with chronic kidney disease and 467 healthy people. After controlling for various factors, the team found that drinking two or more colas a day (whether artificially sweetened or regular) was linked to a twofold risk of chronic kidney disease.
.             7. Increased Blood Pressure :
Experts have reasons to believe that overconsumption of fructose, particularly in the form of soft drinks, leads to an increase in blood pressure .
                  8. Heartburn:
Soft drink consumption is a strong predictor of heartburn.
                   9.    Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factor:
Soft drink consumption is a significant risk factor for developing of metabolic syndrome, a combination of the symptoms such as high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance.
                    10. Harmful Effects On Liver:
There is evidence that consumption of too many soft drinks puts you under increased risk for liver cirrhosis similar to what chronic alcoholics have.
     11.  Impaired Digestive System:
Soda, no matter who makes it, is extremely acidic beverage, with a pH of about 2.5, about the same as vinegar, but the sugar content disguises the acidity. To put that into perspective, consider that battery acid has a pH of 1 and pure water has a pH level of 7.
Interesting fact: A pH below 4 or above 10 will kill most fish and very few animals can tolerate waters with a pH below 3 or above 11.
Why does that matter? Throughout the digestive system, that starts from the mouth and ends up at the anus only the stomach can resist an acidic environment up to pH 2.0. But before the acidity of soft drink reaches the stomach it passes through all the other organs involved in the digestive system thus causing an abnormal acidic environment. The linings of the mouth, pharynx and esophagus are highly sensitive to acids.
The phosphoric acid present in soft drink competes with the hydrochloric acid of the stomach and affects its functions. When the stomach becomes ineffective, food remains undigested causing indigestion, gassiness or bloating (swelling of stomach).
    12. Dehydration :
Another problem with sodas is that they act as dehydrating diuretics. Both caffeine and sugar cause dehydration.
Caffeine is a diuretic and causes an increase in urine volume. High concentration of sugar is drawing off water because your kidneys try to expel the excess sugar out of the blood. When you drink a caffeinated soda to quench your thirst, you will actually become thirstier.
   13. High Caffeine Content
Another advantage of avoiding sodas is that you will avoid the unnecessary caffeine. Soda drinks are a major source of caffeine in the American diet.
High doses of caffeine can cause irritability, restlessness, tension, insomnia, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disturbance, excessive urination, irregular heartbeat and other side effects.
    14. Toxins - Aspartame :
If you think diet soda is better think again. The poison in diet soda is an artificial sweetener aspartame. Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. It is used because it's about 200 times sweeter than table sugar.
Despite US FDA approval as a "safe" food additive, aspartame is one of the most dangerous substances added to foods. After you drink an aspartame-sweetened product, aspartame breaks down into its starting components: phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol (that further converts to formaldehyde and formic acid, which are known carcinogens.). There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption 10-13.
    15. Cell Damage :
A new health scare erupted over soft drinks recently amid evidence that they may cause serious cell damage and accelerate cell aging23. Research from a British university suggests a common preservative E211, known as sodium benzoate, found in drinks such as Fanta and Pepsi Max has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA.
Sodium benzoate occurs in small amounts naturally in berries, but is used in large quantities to prevent mould in soft drinks.


    16. Other Harmful Effects
Studies published in a couple of recent years show the following health risks associated with soda drinking:
  • Increased risk of asthma and lung disease
  • Caffeinated and artificially sweetened soft drinks may increase the risk of early menarche, a risk factor of several diseases
  • Elevation of uric acid levels
  • Risk of developing hypertension
  • Mental health problems
17. There Are So Many Healthy Alternatives !
Soda replaces healthier drinks. By drinking soda, you cut the intake of fresh juices, milk, and even water and deprive yourself from essential vitamins and minerals.
  • Water. Water is the best drink in the world.
  • Tea. Any kind of tea - herbal, green or black - is rich in antioxidants, which were shown to protect the body form many health problems.
  • 100% Juice. Fruit juice can be also useful for flavoring your water and teas.
Soft Drinks : Pepsi- Coca cola etc. : Some Advantages :
Soft drink consumption has increased substantially over the last 50 years and it has been established that people have large amounts of soft drinks regularly.

"Caffeine Benefits"
                            Caffeine is a stimulant that is found in soft drinks. In large amounts can have detrimental effects on your health but it also has numerous benefits. Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system, helps breakdown fatty acids in your liver, boost your mood and alleviate headaches. People who regularly ingest caffeine are less likely to develop Parkinson's disease, colon cancer, gallstones, and cirrhosis of the liver.


"Carbonated Water"
                            Carbonated water is a primary ingredient of soft drinks. Carbonated water was created by Joseph Priestly in the year 1767 and has since proven to have many benefits for the gastrointestinal tract. Carbonated water eases stomachaches, quells nausea and has been proven to alleviate constipation.

"Sodium Benefits"
                    Sodium is another product found in soft drinks. Sodium is an important mineral found in almost all natural foods. Sodium helps your body retain water, helps avoid and treat muscle cramps, keeps electrolyte balance, prevents the effects of aging of your skin and prevents your the drop of your blood pressure.
The process of Manufacturing of Soft-Drinks is Mentioned below:



References :

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