Shocking Facts About Sodas

Gulping down bottles of soda might be the fashionable thing to do — and once marketing companies decide that for you, they're bound to take your subconscious for a stroll, too — but before you chug, you have to be aware of the consequences of getting "addicted" to these high-sugar drinks. The harmful side effects of drinking soda on a regular and uncontrolled basis cannot and should not be ignored. No matter how tempting and refreshing sodas might seem, it is up to you to get your "soda habit" under control, and up to parents to educate their children about the harmful side effects of these drink and ensure that drinking soda does not become a habit. 
 

A study published in the British Medical Journal in the year 2008 revealed that regular consumption of sodas (five to six servings of sodas per week) increases the risk of gout in males who are 40 years or older. That really isn't even that much soda. One evening could get you there. Gout is a painful condition that is hard to treat. Is that soda really worth it?

Consuming diet sodas that contain aspartame might actually have a negative effect on diabetics. Aspartame makes it even more difficult to control those all-important insulin levels and adversely affects the appetite of diabetics, resulting in weight gain. Some of the negative side effects of aspartame include cataracts, retinopathy, and metabolic disorders.
 

Sodas are known to leach calcium from bones. The phosphoric acid present in most sodas promotes the excretion of calcium in urine and results in a loss of calcium from the body. Excessive consumption of sodas might cause deposition of excess amount of calcium in the kidneys resulting in nephrolithiasis. Loss of calcium from the body can cause osteoporosis, a condition of low bone density in which bones become pone to fracture, in the long term.

Consuming soda can also increase the risk of strokes and heart attacks. Sodas contain a large amount of sugar which increases the presence of harmful lipids in the blood, which in turn could trigger a stroke. As per a study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, drinking a sugar-sweetened beverage per day triggers a 20 percent increase in a man’s risk of a heart disease. Even diet sodas have shown to increase the risk of a stroke and heart attack, so never think your choice is "all good" just because there's a "diet" label on your soda.

Sodas, especially diet sodas, are diuretics, which means that they result in an increased flow of urine and calcium excretion. This often contributes to dehydration, especially if drinking soda means that you forget to also have plain water. Consuming an excess of sodas can also have a laxative effect and can result in shedding of the water weight of your body.

Most diet sodas contain a preservative known as sodium benzoate which is typically added to prevent molding. When sodium benzoate present in the soda combines with vitamin C, it produces a carcinogenic substance known as benzene which can damage the mitochondria of the cells. Damaging of cells can trigger diseases such as Parkinson’s and other neuro-degenerative diseases.

The acidic nature of sodas often results in the production of gluthione, an antioxidant enzyme. Moreover, when people consume too much of sodas, they tend to cut down on their regular intake of water, milk, and fresh juices which are rich in vitamins and minerals essential for the skin. This causes a faster aging process and the skin becomes prone to wrinkles.

12.  Soda Increases the risk of aluminum-exposure

Not just the sodas, but soda cans too have a negative effect on your health. Most aluminum soda cans have a lining of an epoxy resin known as bisphenol A (BPA) which prevents sodas from reacting with aluminum. BPA is known to have serious health hazards such as infertility, obesity, and reproductive cancers.