Five Reasons to Stop Drinking Soda
It comes as no surprise to know that drinking soda is a bad for your health, but for many people it’s a hard habit to break. The World Health Organization, along with food experts and nutritionists, all agree: excessive sugar consumption is harmful.
To clarify, that’s all the nutritional value that you get from soda- a huge amount of sugar, and nothing else. But that’s not the only reason why you shouldn’t consume these drinks. In this article we give you five reasons to stop drinking soda.
Not drinking soda reduces the risk of being over-weight and obese
Many scientific studies have shown that drinking soda significantly increases the risk of obesity. Just one bottle of soda contains around eight to nine teaspoons of sugar. Therefore, its consumption has a direct impact on your body weight.
But there are more disadvantages to drinking soda that you should also keep in mind. The frequent consumption of these sugary drinks alters the way you perceive sweet tasting foods. They also change your perception threshold.
Consuming these drinks modifies your reward system, meaning, the pleasure that you feel when you have something sweet. This generates a bigger appetite for high calorie foods, and it results in weight gain.
Another reason why drinking soda promotes weight gain and obesity, is that it doesn’t give you the sensation of satiety. Despite their high levels of calories, it’s proven that because it’s a liquid intake, the satiety sensation isn’t the same, as if you were consuming the same number of calories in a solid form.
To prevent diabetes and cardiovascular problems
The risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems is significantly reduced when you stop drinking soda. This is mostly because of the sugar content found in these drinks.
Sodas not only cause weight gain. They’re also related to the increase in belly fat, and are closely linked to diabetes and to some heart diseases.
Sodas usually consist of corn syrup, which contain high levels of fructose. This substance is also related to the onset of diabetes and other heart conditions. The risk of type 3 diabetes can increase by 80 percent in people who consume these drinks frequently.
Sodas are bad for your teeth
The acids and sugar found in sodas destroy your teeth enamel. There’s a direct connection between consuming sugars in sodas and tooth decay.
The higher the consumption of sodas, the higher the incidence of tooth decay. This happens no matter what toothpaste you use, the quality of it or the oral hygiene you maintain.
When tooth decay is left untreated, it can affect the roots of the teeth, leading to tooth root and loss of teeth. Not drinking soda avoids frequent visits to the dentist and prevents the loss of your teeth.
Beware of osteoporosis
Drinking soda also increase the risk of osteoporosis. This is not just because of sugar, but because soda contains acids, additives and gas. Some of these components, particularly caffeine or phosphoric acid, take the calcium in your body and eliminate it through the urine.
Your body can then be lacking in this mineral, which can cause osteoporosis, especially in women.
Diet soda isn’t the solution
Despite what you may think, consuming diet sodas instead of regular sodas isn’t a good alternative either. From the caloric point of view, sugar-free drinks are better. However, they have different side effects and risks that you should keep in mind.
They do not promote a healthy diet and they also generate a preference for sweet tastes in people who consume them. This is harmful for healthy eating habits, especially in children.
Besides, the sweeteners in diet sodas, such as aspartame, aren’t healthy at all. They modify the balance in your intestinal flora and can encourage the development of some metabolic conditions.