From the time I was a small child the words, “That stuff will rot your teeth” have rung in my ears every time a see a can of soda. This was a common phrase that my grandparents uttered when they saw my dad drinking a can of his favorite cola. I have to admit, it never prevented me from having the occasional glass of pop, but I have learned the many hazards behind this carbonated beverage over the years. Here are 7 reasons to avoid soda.
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Brushing your teeth will help you battle plaque that builds up on your teeth, while drinking soda will only feed this plaque. The sugar in soda is what plaque feeds on. Sugar feeds the bacteria in your mouth, which then produce acid that aid the plaque in the corrosion of the protective enamel on your teeth. The less sugar you can provide for this sticky substance, the less chance plaque will have to harm your teeth.
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There is already quite a bit of sodium taken in with daily meals, which is often more than plenty. The recommended amount of sodium that is supposed to be consumed daily is between 500 and 1000 mg. On average, Americans tend to take in a lot more than this daily recommendation; sometimes up to 10 times more. A cup of soda has an average of 30 to 50 mg of sodium per 8 ounce serving. Too much sodium can lead to higher blood pressure, an increased risk of having a stroke or heart disease, and also kidney disease.
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The human body can only use so much sugar for creating energy; the rest of the sugar gets turned into fat and stored for later use. Many people have thought fat to be the culprit of gaining excessive weight, but a lot of studies have proved sugar to be an even bigger cause of weight gain. Drinking a lot of soda can also prevent you from feeling hungry for “real” food, thus giving your body less vitamins, minerals, and any substantial food for your body to use.
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Soda usually contains quite a bit of sugar and as previously mentioned, sugar causes cavities and excess weight gain. Trying to drink soda that has a sugar substitute, such as aspartame can often have an adverse effect. Some people actually gain weight because of the aspartame and would be better off sticking to the soda with regular sugar. Aspartame has been linked to a variety of difficulties; seizure, heart palpitations, confusion, unsteadiness, numbness, aggression, and many more. Of course, the reaction will also depend on the person and some people have no side effects at all from ingesting aspartame.
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Drinking soda can create a full feeling and decreases the desire to eat a good healthy meal. These empty calories don’t provide any nutrition whatsoever. Not wanting to eat real food when the time comes tends to lead to more snacking later on. Eating healthy snacks and drinking soda don’t usually go hand-in-hand. Most people tend to grab the quickest food available when they are searching for a snack; cookies, cupcakes, or any other type of fast sweet treat.
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Soda has an average pH of around 2.5, which is only slightly above the pH level of battery acid and equal to that of vinegar. The phosphoric acid in soda is what makes it so corrosive. The human stomach is equipped to handle quite a bit of sugar, but even it has its limits. When there is too much acidity going on, the stomach is unable to properly digest foods which tend to cause indigestion. Undigested food can also cause bloating and gassiness as well.
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Caffeine causes the loss of fluids, due to its diuretic effect. This means it makes causes you to need to pee more often. Unless you are also drinking plenty of water between sodas, there is a good chance that drinking nothing but soda can cause dehydration. Granted, there is also water found in caffeinated. There really isn’t enough water to keep you properly hydrated, especially if you are trying to get in a bit of exercising and drink soda at the same time.
I’m sure these 7 reasons to avoid soda won’t turn everyone off from drinking the stuff. My husband is an avid soda drinker, even though he has high blood pressure and knows that drinking soda is working against him. It’s hard to get a grown man to stop doing something he’s done his entire life, trust me! Is there a certain reason you avoid soda or do you over look all the reasons and continue to enjoy it in moderation?
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