13 Scary Facts About Soda

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September 23, 2019

Soda is everywhere, in schools, offices, airports, and restaurants. But how bad is it for you anyway?

Here are 13 scary facts about soda you may not have known...

1. Soda Doesn't Satiate You

When you are hungry or thirsty, a cool beverage can go a long way toward leaving you full. But that doesn’t happen with soda as it does with water or sugar-free drinks. Sodas contain a large amount of added sugar in the form of sugar fructose which does nothing to reduce feelings of hunger, activated by the hormone ghrelin.

2. Soda Has NO Essential Nutrients

When you drink a soda, you get no essential nutrients. There is no fiber, no vitamins, and no minerals. The only thing you get is excess sugar and too many calories. By comparison, there are other drink options out there which at the very least reduce the calories and sugar you consume compared to soda, and at best contain natural ingredients and add to your consumption of essential nutrients.

3. Soda is Really Addictive

Sugary soda is as addictive as hard drugs. Yes, you read that right, soda is as addictive as hard drugs. According to a study by Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Business School, the same neurobiological pathways that are involved in drug abuse are also involved in food/drink consumption This means your brain starts searching for it more and more, almost in an uncontrollable fashion. If you have a predisposition toward addiction, this can result in food addiction.

4. Soda is Linked to Weight Gain

People who consume sugary sodas consume 17% more calories as a result. Furthermore, studies indicate that those who drink sodas gain more weight compared to those who don’t. Children who consume just one sugary filled soda daily have a 60% increased risk of obesity.

5. Soda Has Been Linked to Fat in the Liver

The liver has to work hard to metabolize fructose, which cannot be metabolized anywhere else. Sodas fill your body with excessive fructose and when that happens, the liver converts it to fat. But, too much and it will remain in the liver leading to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

6. Soda Increases Belly Fat

High sugar intake from sodas increases belly fat, the dangerous fat that gets stored around the organs and in the belly. This is particularly dangerous because it increases the chances of acquiring type 2 diabetes or heart disease down the line.

7. Soda Can Lead to Leptin Resistance

Leptin is a hormone used to regulate the calories you consume and burn. The levels of leptin in your body change based on obesity or starvation. If you consume too much fructose, it leads to leptin resistance, which means your body is resistant to the hormone that would otherwise tell you when you are hungry (i.e. when you need more calories) and when you are full (i.e. you don’t need any more calories today). Subsequently, this directly leads to excess fat gain. The good news here is that when you revert to a sugar-free diet, that resistance to leptin goes away, so you can make small changes and reap big rewards.

8. Soda Can Also Lead to Insulin Resistance

Sugary soda can lead to insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone responsible for driving glucose from the blood into the cells, as needed. With regular soda consumption, your cells are less sensitive to the impact of insulin which begets insulin resistance. This is a stepping stone to type 2 diabetes and subsequent heart diseases.

9. Soda Leads to Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common diseases today with symptoms of elevated blood sugar brought about by regular insulin resistance. High consumption of fructose from soda leads to insulin resistance and that leads to type 2 diabetes. Just one soda per day has been linked to a significant increase in the risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

10. Soda Increases Heart Disease Risk

Sodas with high sugar are linked to heart diseases. In fact, a 20-year study found that 40,000 participants who consumed just 1 soda daily had a 20% higher chance of having and dying from heart attacks.

11. Soda Even Gives You a Higher Cancer Risk

Soda consumption leads to higher risks of cancer. One study with over 60,000 participants found that drinking just 2 or more sodas per week leads to an 87% higher chance of developing pancreatic cancer compared to not drinking soda. Again, this is just 2 sodas, total, per week. So even if you think you aren’t as bad as the next guy because you don’t drink it daily, you might still be contributing to a higher risk of cancer.

12. No Surprise Here, Soda is Bad for Your Teeth

Halloween is full of spooky vampire teeth, but if you are not careful, you will have to wear fake teeth forever. The sugars in soda and the carbonic acid and phosphoric acid in soda lead to tooth decay, bad bacteria in the mouth, and much more. Your dentist will thank you, as will anyone who looks at you if you reduce your soda intake. These dental risks and the damage done are particularly upsetting because they cannot be undone. Things like tooth enamel decay cannot be fixed; your enamel only grows once so once it is gone, it is gone for good as with it, any chance of a naturally bright white smile.

13. Soda Gives You A Higher Risk of Gout

Gout risk is increased by 75% in women and 50% in men with long term soda consumption. The fructose in the sugary sodas increases inflammation and uric acid in the body which not only leads to a higher risk of gout but for those who already have it, it will exacerbate the existing condition.

Switching to sparkling water can help reduce soda intake, leading to decreased sugar intake, and reducing the chances of coming into contact with all the scary and spooky things we just covered. With the Lavit drink system, you can make that switch easily and still enjoy the same variety as you would find at a soda machine.

Works Cited