Do you drink soda pop? If yes, then quitting may be the best single thing you can do to improve your health – maybe even better than quitting smoking. Here’s why.
The sugar content of most sodas is about 30 teaspoons in a 1L bottle. Most of the sugar in soda is in the form of high fructose corn syrup – the cheapest but also the most deadly (see my column #55 March 22, 2010). High sugar consumption is linked to obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, liver & kidney disease, high triglycerides, vascular heart disease, and aggressive anti-social behavior. One quarter of Americans now consume 180 lbs or more of added sugar a year (that’s a pound every two days).
Diet sodas aren’t the answer either. There are other health problems with the synthetic sweeteners used in soda (see my column #14 June 1, 2009). The flavors are all synthetic chemicals with absolutely no nutritive value and questionable safety. Carbonated beverages removes oxygen from your blood and the phosphoric or citric acids leach calcium from your bones and teeth.
When you think about it, there is really no good reason for drinking pop and plenty for avoiding it. Your body needs plenty of pure water, it does not need sugar and artificial flavors. If you were offered poison and told that it tastes good and that drinking it would make you “cool” or popular, would you? Probably not. How many million dollars of advertising would it take to change your mind?
The principle of moderation may apply here. My wife Donna remembers as a child getting a small bottle of Orange Crush at the spring sports day once a year. I might drink a can or two of ginger ale a month. More than one a week however could be jeopardizing our health. Make the switch from drinking pop to water and discover how your health will improve. It may not be easy to quit though – I’m told that certain pops can be quite addicting. It will be worth it though because when it comes to beverages, water is still the real thing!
For more information see mercola.com and many other websites on the topic.
This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
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