Learn about all the soda side effects before it’s too late!
Soda ads have long flooded us with jumbo portions, million-dollar campaigns, and free refills. But what companies seldom talk about are the many soda side effects, unfit for a person’s health because it contains lots of sugar, among other things.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that most people in America consume too many added sugars, which can lead to many health issues.
So Healthy Reads wants to get to the bottom of it. In today’s article, I want to discuss why soda is bad for a person’s health, and I’ll even share with you some delicious alternative drinks from which you can choose.
I get that drinking pop is tempting, with its fizzy bubbles and sweet taste. But, the potential soda side effects have long been a matter of concern. Get ready for surprising insights into why these drinks are bad for you.
Soda side effect: Cancer risk
Cancer oftentimes coexists with chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. So, unsurprisingly, sodas are linked to an high risk of cancer.
Drinking 100ml of sugary drinks on a daily basis is connected to an 18% greater risk of developing cancer of any type. If you drink over two servings a day, it could raise:
-67% of the risk of cancer return (after treatment) or dying from cancer.
-87% of the risk of pancreatic cancer.
-78% of the risk of type I endometrial cancer.
-Those who consume sweetened soda over five times per week are at an 85% higher risk of breast cancer when compared to those who seldom or never drink it.
Soda side effect: Risk of type 2 diabetes
Insulin resistance and weight gain are two of the biggest risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes.
A study performed in 2010 assessing previous literature revealed that those who drank the most sugary drinks had a 26% higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes when compared to people consuming none or less than a serving a month.
Another study indicates a 25% higher risk in people in the top quartile compared to the bottom. Analyzing info on diabetes rates in 175 countries, researchers discovered that with every additional 150 kcal of sugar consumed per day, type 2 diabetes rates increased by 1.1%.
For instance, if every individual in the US drinks one can of soda per day, it would ultimately lead to 3.6 million more cases of type 2 diabetes.
Soda side effect: Hinder bone and muscle health
A diet that’s high in fructose can lead to sarcopenia. This means your muscles will shrink, and you’ll lose strength due to inflammation and protein changes in your body.
In animal studies, a few months of drinking Coca-Cola reduced bone density. This is due to the fact that the phosphoric acid in soda drains calcium, leading to advanced bone breakdown to replete blood calcium. Long-term soda consumption has been linked to a heightened risk of fractures.
And in an analysis of postmenopausal women, every additional serving of soda per day is connected to a 14% higher chance of hip fractures, regardless of soda type and caffeine content.
Soda side effect: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
We’ve been more exposed to fructose over the past few decades because of the increased availability and consumption of different sodas and sweet treats containing high fructose corn syrup and sucrose. Fructose is metabolized mainly within the liver.
An increased fluctuation of fructose directed towards your liver harms glucose metabolism and contributes to the build-up of new fat and insulin resistance. The built-up fat gets hauled as triglycerides within lipoproteins in the blood or stays in your liver.
Extra fat can trigger inflammation and stress and induce liver damage that can get worse over time, leading to liver cancer or cirrhosis. A 6-month study discovered that regular cola consumers had 132‒143% more liver fat from baseline, notably higher than those drinking milk or water.
Soda side effect: Mental issues
High sugar intake from soda can increase the risk of stress, anxiety, and even dementia. A study discovered that teenagers who drank carbonated soft drinks more than three times a day were up to 55% more likely to develop stress-related sleep issues than those who drank it once a day or less.
In a different study, kids who drank one or more sodas daily were connected to more antagonistic behaviors than those who didn’t. In contrast, people drinking more than four sodas a day had higher scores for attention issues.
Also, soft drinks could be linked to suicidal thoughts, violence, depression, and attempted suicide. Studies have indicated that even slight increases in blood sugar levels are associated with a more significant risk of dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s.
Soda side effect: Heart disease risk
In a study performed recently, Australian teenagers showed higher awareness of the possible effects of soda drinks on the human body, like weight gain, tooth decay, and diabetes. But lower awareness of the association of soda consumption with cancer and heart disease.
Studies reveal that people who eat more sugar have higher levels of the bad kind of cholesterol and triglycerides and lower levels of the good type of cholesterol, which cause dyslipidemia, increasing your risk of heart disease.
Drinking sweet drinks on a regular basis can increase blood pressure and blood sugar, which are linked to having a higher risk of stroke and coronary heart disease.
A 22-year follow-up study of more than 40,000 men found that every additional serving of a sugar-sweetened drink increased the risk of CHD by 19% to 25%.
Soda side effect: Higher blood leptin levels
Leptin, which is an appetite-regulating hormone created by fat cells within a person’s body, regulates body weight for the long haul. It does that by giving feelings of fullness and satiety and by increasing energy expenditure. The blood levels of leptin are comparable to the amount of adipose tissue in one’s body.
So, with food intake, when fat boosts, leptin production also hikes up. Studies show that daily consumption of sugary drinks can also increase leptin production.
Having increased blood leptin levels, in turn, can lead to resistance to leptin. This, in turn, causes over-consumption of nutrients, increased hunger, and increased body mass. This makes weight loss rather difficult and causes inflammation in the body. There’s also an increased chance of metabolic syndromes.
In animal studies, outrageous amounts of fructose, the primary sugar in soda, induced leptin resistance. But, this resistance could be reversed when sugar intake takes a back seat to healthy food intake.
Soda side effect: Dental issues
Soda drinks have long been a dental concern, especially in kids and teenagers. An oral pH that’s below 5.5 is a tell-tale sign of enamel erosion, and soft drinks generally have a pH range of 2.5 to 3.5. The presence of sugar exacerbates the harm.
Sugar lets oral bacteria grow and create acid that can deplete enamel and result in tooth decay. In a study, kids aged 3 to 5 years old who switched from consuming little to no soda to a high intake over a two-year period experienced a 75% increase in missing teeth, tooth decay, and fillings compared to those who continued to consume less soda or only drank water.
Consuming soda before bed can also be hard on your teeth. Swishing it around in your mouth can lower pH levels even further. The best thing to do if you drink soda is to use a straw and wait an hour before you brush your teeth to minimize the damage.
Were you aware of these soda side effects? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. And if you found this article useful, check out: 14 Organic Foods You’ve Been Buying Needlessly
