We have already focused on why water is great and needed in our bodies. Now it’s time for the ugly truth about sodas, and why it’s important to stay away- and hopefully eliminate- them completely.
PH of soda = pH of Vinegar
No matter who makes the soda, it is pretty much the most acidic beverage you can buy, with it’s pH ringing in at about 2.5, about that of vinegar. Acid oxidizes whatever it comes in contact with- in the case of soda- that’s your teeth, your esophagus, your stomach, your intestines, your bladder. If you put rusted metal (such as a penny) into soda, it will dissolve the rust, making the penny look new again. This weakens your immune system, your bones, your organs. Why would you want that in your body?
Your tooth enamel is highly weakened by the combination of sugar and acid in soda. The acidity initially weakens the protective enamel, making it far easier for the sugar to attack the tooth and cause cavities. This cycle over time, on a daily basis, it bad news for your oral health.
Each additional soda you drink increases risk for obesity by 1.6 times
Now for the weight gain aspect to soda ingestion. The relationship between soft drink consumption is so directly correlated that researchers have calculated that based on average consumption, sodas add 20 lbs to your frame every year. Each additional soda consumed over what is deemed “average” adds 5 lbs a year to the initial 20.
The health of your children
As parents, it is our job to be an example to our children and keep them healthy. In studies, teens who consume sodas are three to four times more likely to fracture their bones than teens who do not drink sodas. Children who drink sodas from a young age also displayed an inability to compensate themselves with the proper nutrition at mealtime, leading to caloric imbalances, and obesity in the long run.
Diet soda is just as bad- if not worse!
For those of you indulging yourselves with diet soda instead of regular sugar filled soda- the news isn’t much better. In fact, it’s worst. By consuming a liter of aspartame-filled soda, you are poisoning yourself with methanol, the chemical your body produces when you consume artificial sweeteners.
The other artificial sweetener, saccharin, is a petroleum derivative that when tested on animals over the years, has caused cancer in the bladder and female reproductive organs.
So yes, with diet soda you forgo calories in exchange for poisonous levels of methanol and a chance at various cancers. Not a good trade!
Just remember that you get NO nutritional value from a soda, only bad side effects! And with so many great, healthy alternatives, you truly need to steer away from sodas. Try freshly brewed tea, or freshly brewed iced tea (not preservative filled bottled teas such as snapple!), coconut water, juice with water, and water with lemon!
So before you grab a soda, please remember all the bad things mentioned above and go for a healthier alternative.
