Modern colas usually contain caramel color, caffeine, and sweeteners such as sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. Many soft drinks are sweetened mostly or entirely with high-fructose corn syrup, rather than sugar. Some nutritionists caution against consumption of corn syrup because it may aggravate obesity and type-2 diabetes more than cane sugar.

 

A 2007 study found that consumption of colas, both those with natural sweetening and those with artificial sweetening, was associated with increased risk of chronic kidney disease. The phosphoric acid used in colas was thought to be a possible cause.

 

Studies indicate "soda and sweetened drinks are the main source of calories in most of our diet",so most nutritionists advise that Coca-Cola and other soft drinks can be harmful if consumed excessively, particularly to young children whose consumption of these soft drink competes with, rather than complements, a balanced diet. Studies have shown that regular soft drink users have a lower intake of calcium, magnesium, ascorbic acid, riboflavin, and vitamin A.

 

The drink has also aroused criticism for its use of caffeine, which can cause physical dependence (caffeine addiction).A link has been shown between long-term regular cola intake and osteoporosis,which is a disease in women which causes the bones to become extremely porouus and are subject to fracture this disease occurs in women following their menopause. This was thought to be due to the presence of phosphoric acid, and the risk was found to be the same for caffeinated and noncaffeinated colas, as well as the same for diet and sugared colas.

 

 

Do you want to be healthy? Drinking soda is bad for your health in so many ways; science cannot even state all the consequences. Here is what happens in your body when you assault it with a Coke:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let us take a look at some of the other major components of a can of soda:

 

Phosphoric Acid: Which can interfere with the ability of the body to use calcium, leading softening of the teeth and bones and making them porous.

 

Sugar: It is a proven fact that sugar increases insulin levels, which can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, premature aging and many more negative side effects. Most sodas include over 100 percent of the RDA of sugar.

 

Aspartame: This chemical is used as a sugar substitute in diet soda. There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption including brain tumors, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders and epilispsy/seizures.

 

Caffeine: Caffeinated drinks cause jitters, insomnia, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, elevated blood cholesterol levels, vitamin and mineral depletion, breast lumps, birth defects, and perhaps some forms of cancer.

 

Tap Water: It is recommended that everyone avoids drinking tap water because it can carry any number of chemicals including chlorine, trihalomethanes, lead, cadmium, and various organic pollutants. Tap water is the main ingredient in bottled soft drinks.

Clearly, the over-consumption of sodas and sweet drinks is one of the leading causes fueling the world-wide obesity epidemic.

 

One independent, peer-reviewed study published in the British medical journal The Lancet demonstrated a strong link between soda consumption and childhood obesity.  They found that 12-year-olds who drank soft drinks regularly were more likely to be overweight than those who did not. In fact, for each additional daily serving of sugar-sweetened soft drink consumed during the nearly two-year study, the risk of obesity jumped by 60 percent.

 

Here is another sobering fact if you are struggling with weight issues: Just one extra can of coke per day can add as much as 15 pounds to your weight over the course of a single year!

 

One soda per day increases your risk of diabetes by 85 percent

Soda drinkers have higher cancer risk. While the federal limit for benzene in drinking water is 5 parts per billion (ppb), researchers have found benzene levels as high as 79 ppb in some soft drinks, and of the 100 brands tested, most had at least some detectable level of benzene present

Soda has been shown to cause DNA damage – courtesy of sodium benzoate, a common preservative found in many soft drinks, which has the ability to switch off vital parts of your DNA. This could eventually lead to diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver and Parkinsons

 

If you are still drinking soda, stopping the habit is an easy way to improve your health. Pure water is a much better choice, or if you must drink a carbonated beverage, try sparkling mineral water with a squirt of lime or lemon juice.

There is absolutely No reason your kids should ever drink soda.The elimination of soft drinks is one of the most crucial factors to deal with many of the health problems you or your children suffer.

 

If you struggle with an addiction to coke, (remember, sugar is actually more addictive than cocaine!) I suggest you put an immediate stop to it before it is too late.

 

Your Health Is Our Concern!

 

Karen Arthur/ ghanahospitals.org