What Soft Drinks Are Doing To Your Body

I found this article at Yahoo Health. It's about the negative effects that soft drinks, both diet and regular, have on our bodies.

The article states that soda is one of the worst beverages that we can be drinking for our health. One problem is that soft drinks contain little to no vitamins and other nutrients. Another problem, though, is what they do contain, ingredients like carbonation, caffeine, simple sugars, sugar substitutes, artificial coloring, flavoring and preservatives.

Many soft drinks contain a high amount of sugars. The daily allotment of sugar for a 2,000 calorie-per-day diet is 10 teaspoons. Many soft drinks contain more than that in a single serving and many people drink more than one soft drink daily.

All of this excess sugar can lead to elevated blood insulin levels. This, in turn, leads to depression of the immune system which weakens the body's ability to fight disease.

Also, excess sugars are stored as fat in the body. This leads to weight gain, which is a contributing factor to the possibility of heart disease and cancer.

The article says that diet soda can be just as bad for us, for different reasons. The artificial sweeteners used in diet sodas can pose a health risk. There is research to show that certain types can possibly cause cancer. Other types of sweeteners use a chemical reaction to stimulate the brain, causing the body to think that a beverage is sweet. This chemical can also cause cravings for other sweet foods and drinks, leading to weight gain.

Another ingredient found in both diet and regular soda that can be detrimental to our health, is carbonation. Drinks with bubbles contain phosphoric acid which can severely deplete blood calcium levels. Calcium is a key component in bone health, meaning that excessive soda consumption can increase your risk of osteoporosis later in life.

Caffeine, which is present in many soft drinks, can also deplete the calcium levels in our bodies. It also stimulates your central nervous system, and can contribute to stress, a racing mind and insomnia.


This article grabbed my interest because I've recently decided to stop drinking soda. I don't drink a lot as it is, maybe one soda a day, but after reading this article I've decided that even one a day is too much. Some of the effects of soft drinks really surprised me.

We've always heard about how bad the sugars and sweeteners are for our bodies. I was surprised that the article also went into detail about the carbonation and caffeine too. We don't hear as much about those ingredients.

I had no idea that the ingredients used to create carbonation also deplete our blood calcium levels. As a female, I hear all the time about the importance of calcium to prevent osteoporosis. It's important for everyone else too.

I've always heard about the negative effects of caffeine on the body, as far as insomnia, increased stress and a racing mind. I didn't know that caffeine can also contribute to calcium loss in the body.

Knowing all of these facts will definitely help me stick to my new no soda rule. It will be hard. I usually take advantage of Sonic's Happy Hour whenever I can and we're provided with free soda at work. I might just have to print this story and keep it in a place where I can see it often. I have done the no soda thing in the past and I know it really does make me feel better and I have more energy. I'll just have to keep that in mind the next time I get a craving for a Diet Dr. Pepper.