A long read but you will be informed Unless you’ve been living under a rock lately, you’ve probably heard that drinking soda is associated with a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes and obesity. That good old high fructose corn syrup really packs a punch, doesn’t it? And of course, having excess glucose gushing through your veins and carrying around extra poundage is the perfect calling card for heart disease or kidney disease to come knocking at your door. Now, the sugar (HFCS) in soda isn’t the only concern here. The phosphoric acid does its share of damage too. First of all, acid has a direct effect on the functioning of your kidneys. It’s their job to filter acid wastes out of your bloodstream and create urine to put them into so they can be excreted, and the more you subject them to the acid barrage of soda, the more stressed they become. Plus your body also uses its own alkaline minerals to help neutralize the acid in your bloodstream. Over time this can lead to mineral deficiency conditions like arthritis, osteoporosis, tooth decay, brittle, porous bones that fracture easily and weak muscles. Now, I know what you may be thinking. “What about diet soda?” Well, first of all, diet soda is just as acidic as regular soda. So you’re still taunting your kidneys and pulling minerals out of your muscles and bones with every sip. And although diet soda doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup, it does have artificial sweeteners which are just as health wrecking, if not even more so, than HFCS! Aspartame (NutraSweet) and sucralose (Splenda) have been linked to a variety of health problems including: Migraines; headaches Depression Seizures Vision problems Irregular heartbeat Hypertension Increased irritability or agitation Worsening PMS symptoms Anxiety Plus artificial sweeteners create a hormonal response in your body that increases your cravings for sweets and refined carbohydrates (sugar). So the “diet” in diet sodas doesn’t mean diet at all! Plus people who drink diet sodas are tricked into thinking they can have more leeway on other calories they take in because they’re saving calories with diet soda. But this can blow up in your face and lead to overeating and weight gain. Now for the not-so-obvious Here are four other dangers of drinking soda that are starting to come out more and more in many research studies: 1- Caramel color = cancer Most cola manufacturers use “caramel color” to make their sodas brown. But two contaminants found in caramel coloring (2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole) have been shown to cause cancer in animals. What’s crazy about this is that the caramel coloring isn’t even a necessary ingredient that affects the taste of the soda—it’s for color only! So the cancer risk is completely avoidable if the manufacturers cared enough to eliminate the source. And don’t think that just because you only drink soda now and then that you’re out of the woods. According to Californias Proposition 65 list of chemicals known to cause cancer, just 16 micrograms per person per day of 4-methylimidazole is enough to pose a cancer threat, and most colas (both diet and regular), contain 200 micrograms in just one 20-ounce bottle. 2- Acid = accelerated aging In addition to the harmful effects of the phosphoric acid in soda (both diet and regular) that I mentioned above, you can add dying before your time onto the list. A study published in a 2010 issue of the FASEB Journal found that the excessive phosphate levels found in soda caused lab rats to die a full five weeks earlier than the rats whose diets had more normal phosphate levels. 3- From the can to your water glass The artificial sweeteners used in diet sodas are basically treated by your body as a poison—they can’t be metabolized so they are instead detoxed out of you. But it doesn’t stop there, my friend. Because once your, excrement makes its way to wastewater treatment plants, they are not equipped to filter out the sweeteners from the water either. So instead the sweeteners can make their way into our waterways, and eventually into your tap water! In 2009, Swiss scientists tested water samples from wastewater treatment plants, rivers and lakes in Switzerland and detected levels of acesulfame K, sucralose and saccharin--all of which are, or have been, used in diet sodas. Plus a recent test of 19 municipal water supplies in the US revealed the presence of sucralose in every single one. 4- Do the ‘Dew—you won’t remember a thing Dentists now have a title for the boatload of cavities they see in kids who drink a lot of Mountain Dew—they call it “Mountain Dew Mouth.” Well, we might be looking at “Mountain Dew Brain” next. An ingredient called brominated vegetable oil, or BVO, added to prevent the flavoring from separating from the drink, has been known to cause memory loss and nerve disorders when consumed in large quantities. It’s also suspected to build up in your body fat and lead to behavioral problems, infertility and lesions on your heart muscle too. So...... If you’re a soda drinker, hopefully you’ve gotten the idea that you’d be better off drinking dirty motor oil at this point.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 13:41:46 +0000
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