Here are some strong reasons which will make you think twice before picking up the next glass of soda:
Soda does no good:
There are no nutrients or nutritionally beneficial compounds in soda. So drinking soda will cause a lot of harm, but no good.
Weight gain:
The culprit here is definitely the amount of refined sugars present in soft drinks. Many scientific studies have shown experimental evidence of a direct relation between soft drink consumption and weight gain. A single 330ml soft drink could translate to about 0.45kg of weight gain each month. Also, these sugary sodas could disrupt appetite signal pathway and further stimulate cravings for other sugary foods.
Dehydration:
Majority of the soft drinks contain caffeine which functions as a diuretic. This increases urination and leaves the body dehydrated.
Bone loss:
Carbonated beverages contain phosphoric acid which inhibits calcium absorption and also depletes calcium from the bones. Frequent consumption of soda thus increases the risk of developing osteoporosis.
Dental erosion:
Carbonated beverages are highly acidic and can dissolve the mineral content of the tooth enamel. This makes the teeth weaker and sensitive. Which means, soda literally eats up your teeth. Sounds scary, right? Soft drinks are also laden with refined sugars which leads to tooth decay. Research suggests that soft drinks can double or triple the incidence of tooth decay.
Impaired digestion:
Soft drinks could be the most acidic beverages you buy with a pH of about 2.5. Well it is interesting to note that a pH below 4 and above 10 could kill most of the fishes. There are very few animals who can tolerate such highly acidic pH. The only organ in the human body that can resist a pH up to 2 is the stomach. The rest of the digestive tract is highly sensitive to acidic environment. Think twice before you gulp down the next bottle of soda.
But here’s the good news! There are so many healthier alternatives with loads of benefits. Switch to green tea, herbal tea, fresh fruit juice, coconut water, vegetable juice, fruit-infused
water or simply plain water. So ditch the soda for a healthy you.