Soft Drinks – The Link Between Liquid Candy And Disease

Soda, pop, cola, soft drinks: whatever you call them, research shows that their consumption in the last thirty years has increased dramatically, along with their relative health risks. The National Soft Drink Association reports that Americans consumed 54 gallons (or approximately 204 litres) of soft drinks, per person, in 1998, with more than 15 billion gallons sold in 2000. In Canada, soft drink consumption has more than doubled from 55.1 litres per person in 1972, to 113.3 litres in 2001.

In the US, this accounts for more than a quarter of all drinks consumed, and works out to at least one 12-ounce can per day for every man, woman and child, providing more added sugar in a typical 2-year-old toddler’s diet than cookies, candies and ice cream combined (February 27, 2007 Washington Post article – “The Amazing Statistics and Dangers of Soda Pop”).

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, teenage boys and girls drink twice as much soda pop as milk. Twenty years ago, the exact opposite was true. This is important to know, since pop is even worse than pasteurized milk, containing about 10 teaspoons of sugar, 150 calories, and 30 to 55 mg of caffeine.

The high level of energy in childhood also increases the risk of the later development of cancer. Each increase of 250 calories in a child’s typical daily diet showing a 20 percent increased risk of calculated death (British Medical Journal February 14, 1998;316:499-503). Add to these a good amount of artificial food colors and sulphites, calories and other harmful additives, and it virtually eliminates any chance of eating a balanced diet.

Obesity is another factor. In 1964, five per cent of children were considered obese, while today, that figure is 20 per cent and rising. The sugar in pop is believed to cause a hormonal response in the body which promotes weight gain, suggested a study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Continuing to drink pop has been found to increase a child’s chance of actually becoming obese by 60 per cent (2001 study from the Harvard School of Public Health).

The high-fructose corn syrup in soda is the cheapest, most processed sugar on the market and typically such concentrated amounts will wreck teeth. The previous Washington Post article mentioned a federally funded study of nearly 3,200 Americans aged 9 to 29, conducted between 1971 and 1974, showing this correlation. Numerous other studies have shown the same link throughout the world, from Sweden to Iraq.

There is also a strong association between cola beverage consumption and bone fractures in 14-year-old girls, says a 1994 Harvard study. Those who drank cola were about five times more likely to suffer bone fractures than girls who did not. University of Saskatchewan researchers in 2001 went one step further and stated that these girls may face a LIFE-LONG increased risk for fractures and osteoporosis.

Depressingly, it gets worse. Research from a British university suggests that sodium benzoate, (a common preservative used in large quantities to prevent mold in soft drinks such as Sprite, Diet Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and Dr Pepper), has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA, eventually leading to diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver and Parkinson’s (The Independent May 27, 2007).

It has also been known for years that sodium benzoate can produce benzene (a cancer causing chemical) when mixed with ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Benzene is associated with leukemia and other cancers of the blood (BBC News March 1, 2006, Times Online.co.uk, March 2, 2006).

Still not convinced? How does a diabetes link sound? A June 8, 2004 USA Today article stated that women who drink more than one can of soda a day increased their likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes by 85 percent over those who drank less. This is significant since the number of people with diabetes has almost doubled over the years of 1990 to 2002

These studies show that soda is among the worst possible foods. Their acids and phosphates alter your body’s pH levels and inhibit absorption of other nutrients. Let’s take a look at some of the major components:

• Phosphoric Acid – interferes with the body’s ability to use calcium, leading to osteoporosis or softening of the teeth and bones; neutralizes hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which leads to faulty digestion and improper nutrient absorption.
• Sugar (up to ten teaspoons a can) – increases insulin levels and leading to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, and so on.
• Aspartame – a sugar substitute with over 92 different health side effects, including brain tumors, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders and epilepsy/seizures.
• Caffeine – may 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.
• Coloring agents such as yellow # 5, commonly used in soft drinks, has been linked to attention deficit disorder, hives, asthma, and other allergic reactions in some children.
• Tap Water (main ingredient in bottled soft drinks) – has chemicals including chlorine, trihalomethanes, lead, cadmium, and various organic pollutants.

Components Source: Mercola.com, 2003 – The Real Dangers of Soda to You and Your Children.

In terms of proven information, these and many other studies and statistics should be alarming to pop drinkers. A proper diet should have some balance and diversity, and soda pop – the anthisesis of good nutrition – is simply not a part of a balanced diet.