We all love our carbonated drinks; they fulfil our sweet cravings and quench our thirst. The problem is those same drinks we so enjoy are slowly killing us and can cause a host of problems for the entire family. The Economist reports that America’s soda consumption has more than doubled. No wonder we are facing an obesity crisis. Just the average consumer alone consumes over 50 gallons of soft drinks per year! That’s an astounding amount of artificial, so called goodness washing down our throats. Let’s examine the properties of sugared drinks and the ill health effects associated with them.
Tooth Decay
Most people think that sugar is the only culprit when it comes to tooth decay, but the truth is soda contains tons of unnatural preservatives and even complex forms of acid that do more damage than sugar would dream of. Every time you take a sip of your favorite soda you are bathing your teeth in Phosphate and Citric acid, which unbalances the PH of saliva in your mouth. This causes bad bacteria to multiply in greater numbers; which in turn destroys tooth enamel. Once your teeth lose their enamel, they become soft, weak, and more susceptible to cavities and decay.
Shocking Fact: processed drinks like coke are actually very detrimental to your health. Its high sugar content (10 teaspoons of sugar) should cause you to vomit from the excess sweetness, but the phosphoric acid cuts the flavor allowing your body to keep it down.
Artificial Sweeteners
A lot of people think that by drinking diet sodas you gain the benefits of a healthy life coupled with the enjoyment of a sweet drink. This is a completely false belief. Diet drinks are just as bad for you, if not worse! Because of the artificial sweeteners they use to reduce the sugar content on the back of the can, these can damage the immune system. Sweetener has many guises; hiding behind the names of Aspartame, Saccharin and many more. It increases insulin resistance, resulting in diabetes; contributes to the development of cancer cell,s thanks to its carcinogen properties; and is partly responsible for brain tumors.
Obesity
Feeling the bulge of muffin top? Most soft drinks now contain over 136 calories per can and if that does not sound like much to you then consider that if you only drank one soda per day then you would have consumed over 45,000 calories per year. If you are looking for an easy way to lose weight, then by cutting out sodas you could achieve this easily over a year.
Healthier Alternatives
When you are seeking something to drink besides a plain glass of water, many of us instantly reach for that can of soda. Your goal should be to eliminate the option of drinking soft drinks by not stocking them. In this post, we are going to list several alternatives that taste great, are much healthier, and can be easily made at home for convenience.
Seltzer Juice Combo
Instead of buying so called “healthy” flavored waters in the store, which are packed with artificial sweeteners and other hidden dangers, grab a bottle of carbonated water like Seltzer and mix your favorite fruit juice in it, with ice.
- Always make sure the fruit juice is 100% all-natural fruit juice so you know it does not contain harmful artificial ingredients.
- Choose a fruit juice that’s beneficial to your objective. For example, cranberry juice is loaded with over 8,000 different antioxidants that have proven to help reverse symptoms of urinary tract infections and slightly reduce the chances of developing heart disease. Learn the top 15 healthiest fruits here!
Loose leaf tea
Tea is one of Mother Nature’s greatest gifts. Most people think they can escape the soft drink aisle by drinking sweet tea that’s prepackaged. However, the truth is those prepackaged teas contain more sugar than your average soda. Instead, buy loose leaf tea. From black, green, or oolong tea you can find the right flavor to satisfy your tastebuds, without the nasty chemicals in prepacks.
- The antioxidants found in tea help destroy free radicals and as a result reduce your risk of developing cancerous cells and even have anti-ageing properties.
- Caffeine in tea gives you a nice boost of energy when you’re working or exercising without compromising its hydrating qualities, unlike normal sodas that can actually dehydrate you.
This might interest you: The Benefits of Tea
Coffee
From a mossy brick sidewalk café to your kitchen table, coffee comes in many flavors and tingles our senses. Most of us have already experienced the awakening effect of coffee and in moderation that’s an excellent benefit to enjoy. It’s important to only drink straight black coffee and do not add any artificial sweeteners or dairy products to it.
- One excellent benefit of coffee is its ability to reduce the chances of developing chronic liver illnesses. Just one cup of black coffee a day can reduce the chance of developing a fatty liver by over 20%.
- For those of us who are prone to type 2 diabetes we can enjoy the immense benefits of coffee. The American health association reports that people who drink four cups of coffee a day enjoy a 50% reduction in the chances of developing insulin resistance.
By cutting out sugary sodas, you can reduce your chances of developing chronic diseases, have more energy, and save a lot of money at the grocery store. Do yourself and the entire family a favor by eliminating soft drinks from your diet and replace them with delicious alternatives.