Is the Fizz Killing Us?

Did you know that the average American drinks approximately 56 GALLONS of soda every year? Will a good number of people stating they drink more soda then they do water. Since soda is so widely consumed, and I can’t deny my own love for soda, I think its important to focus on the effects soda has on the human body. I’ve heard through the grape vine that soda isn’t the healthiest choice but its time to find out just how unhealthy it really is. I’ve compiled what I believe to be the most significant negative effects of consuming soda.

• A single can of soda contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. This amount of sugar, especially in liquid form, skyrockets the blood sugar and causes an insulin reaction in the body. Over time, this can lead to diabetes or insulin resistance, not to mention weight gain and other health problems. Soft drink companies are the largest user of sugar in the country.
• The water used in soda is just simple tap water and can contain chemicals like chlorine, fluoride and traces of heavy metals.
• Harvard researchers have recently positively linked soft drinks to obesity. The study found that 12 year olds who drank soda were more likely to be obese than those who didn’t, and for each serving of soda consumed daily, the risk of obesity increased 1.6 times.
• Sodas contain High Fructose Corn Syrup, which obviously comes from corn. Most of this corn has been genetically modified, and there are no long-term studies showing the safety of genetically modified crops, as genetic modification of crops has only been around since the 1990s. Also, the process of making High Fructose Corn Syrup involves traces of mercury, which causes a variety of long term health problems.
• There is absolutely no nutritional value in soda whatsoever. Not only are there many harmful effects of soda, but there are not even any positive benefits to outweigh them.  Soda is an unnatural substance that harms the body.

Building off of that information, I also found that soda has been proven to further cells into aging in a similar way that cigarettes do. As you can see, soda is not meant for human consumption. Knowing what I know now, I fully intend on trying to drink less soda. I’m telling you stop drinking soda all together. However, hopefully with this newfound knowledge on soda’s effect you might also try to cut down on drinking too much soda.

“Whether you think that you can or think that you can’t, you’re right”

-Christian Becker

Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2014/10/soda_ages_cells_as_much_as_cigarettes_debunking_telomere_studies_of_health.html