Sugary Soft Drinks and their Health Hazards
It may be refreshing to grab a soda after a tiring day or you may have a habit of drinking a soft drink with your food. It is a common myth that soda helps in digestion of food. That’s a completely false belief. Infact, regular intake of sweetened beverages is injurious to your health!
Colas and sodas if consumed in excess may replace the healthier foods from your diet which hints inferior diet quality.
Examples of sugar-laden beverages you should be limiting or avoiding totally from your diet routine
- Regular cola, and other flavored soft drinks with added sugar and soda
- Sports drinks and energy drinks
- Sherbets and squashes
- Sugared water with various flavors
- Energy drinks and sports drinks
- Tea and coffee with added sugars or syrups
- Lemonade
- Milkshakes and frappes
- Smoothies with added sugar
The various health issues that may be caused by consumption of sugar laden beverages are as follows
Cancer
one of the latest researches suggest that people who drank sugary soft drinks on regular basis, were at a higher risk of developing several types of cancer than those who didn’t.
Obesity and Overweight
Sugar-sweetened beverages were documented as one of the dietary components to contribute to overweight and obesity in 2003, by Joint WHO/FAO Expert Consultation. The sugar sweetened soft drinks are high on calories and thus are responsible to increased unhealthy weight!
Effects on Dental Health
Sweetened beverages also cause dental caries and dental erosion.
Diabetes
Strong evidence indicates that sugar-sweetened soft drinks contribute to the development of diabetes. More studies are required to show the mechanism as to how their consumption leads to diabetes.
Heart Disease and High Blood Pressure
It has also been recognized that sugar sweetened drinks increase the risk of heart disease. A study by Fung et al. in 2009, revealed that consumption of sugar sweetened beverages on daily basis is linked to a high risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in women. This was after accounting for other unhealthy routine or dietary aspects.
High sugar intake may lead to surge in C reactive protein leading to inflammation and atherosclerosis. Also, high fructose level of some of these drinks may lead to high triglyceride levels a risk factor for CHD.
A high glycemic load of these drinks was shown to be associated with a higher risk of CHD.
Also high blood pressure can be one of the consequences of regular intake of colas and sugared soda.
Effects on Bone Health
Regular intake has a connection with bone fractures, low bone mass, osteoporosis and low blood calcium levels.
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of health issues such as increased bad cholesterol (LDL) level, lowered good cholesterol (HDL) level, high blood glucose level, central obesity and high triglyceride levels.
Some more health problems related to sweetened beverages and colas include headache, lethargy, reduced alertness, depressed mood and irritability. In younger kids it may cause anxiety, disturbed sleeping pattern and bedwetting.
So the next time you feel thirsty instead of grabbing a can of soda, choose a healthy drink such as a glass of buttermilk, coconut water or just plain water.
Please Note
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References
· https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/soft-drinks-and-disease/
· https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/259604.php
