What is the Problem with Soft Drinks?
Monday September 24, 2007
Carbonated soft drinks (aka soda pop) have become a dietary staple for millions of people, but what are the dangers and drawbacks of consuming so much "liquid candy" and where can consumers find healthful alternatives?Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Comments
Interesting article, Larry. Thanks.
We rarely drink soft drinks for all these reasons, and never stock them at home.
Artificial carbonated soft drinks are damaging for health in another way, which has to do with bones, from what came a while ago in research; this might explain teeth problems too.
In any case one is getting no benefit whatsoever and wealth of a nation – health of consumers, labour and materials of the nation – is being wasted for nothing at all in return. (Originally, it began with a Coca leaves extract drink, which was later discontinued, while retaining the name.)
Germany does better in this respect – there is a huge culture of fruit juice and even vegetable juice consumption, which is less in US comparatively.
One needs a minimal amount of pure water though, every day, for health, and this awareness is reduced when other drinks are used to satisfy thirst.
When I was a child, soft drinks were a treat for us. As I had my own children we always had them in and the obvious downside was bad teeth and an unwillingness to drink water. My two younger children were given water alongside their baby milk and now both children are quite happy to drink water instead of pop, but the older two still struggle. A lesson learnt!
Sodas also have a few other insidious effects. Drinking them with meals greatly increases the percentage of the calories in the food that will be stored as fat.
It also upsets the calcium phosphorous balance in addition to acidic effects and is thus a twofold assault on the calcium in the body.
Lastly, it is responsible for a very large percentage of litter and the related energy waste and environmental impact.