Mad Cow: Soft drinks are worse than beer..

felifeli:

Of course...m.ad cow.

Who are you calling MAD?!

maclatunji: Bad Effects of Beer

In most cases, the negative effects of alcohol consumption are directly associated with the amount of alcohol consumed and apply regardless of the form of the alcohol. In some cases, however, you may have a sensitivity to ingredients present in one form, such as beer, and you may have to avoid that form of alcohol altogether.

Number of Beers

You may have heard that moderate consumption of alcohol is good for you. Moderate drinking is defined as one drink a day for women and two for men. However, if you don't drink now, you should not start drinking for health. A healthy lifestyle, including good nutrition and exercise, offers more benefits than moderate drinking. Another important point is that if, as a man, you choose to have two beers a day, it does not mean it's okay to guzzle one after the other. Drinking just two beers -- or any alcoholic drink -- in one hour impairs judgment and doubles your chances of having a traffic or household accident.


Empty Calories

A 12-oz. can or bottle of beer contains very little nutrition, but it does contain calories. Regular beer has between 140 to 200 calories, while light beer contains about 100. Of even more concern if you're trying to lose weight is the fact that alcohol causes your body to burn less stored fat for energy. Your liver makes a substance called acetate from most of the alcohol in a beer. Your body burns the acetate for energy instead of burning the fat stored on your hips or belly.

Low Blood Sugar

Beer can contribute to weight gain by interfering with blood sugar levels. Your body stores sugar in your liver as glycogen; when blood sugar drops between meals, your liver converts glycogen into glucose, releasing it into the blood. Alcohol interferes with this process. Blood sugar drops, the liver does not convert glycogen, your brain thinks you are hungry and you scarf down a fatty burger, fries and whatever else catches your eye when you don't really need the food. Counteract this by eating a healthy meal before drinking beer to slow the rate at which your body absorbs alcohol.

Hydration

A cold beer when you're hot is an appealing drink, but use caution if you've been engaging in athletics or working outside in hot weather. Antidiuretic hormone helps your body retain fluid. Alcohol interferes with the hormone's release, which explains those frequent bathroom visits when drinking beer. If you drink beer when you're hot, you lose fluid through both sweating and urine.

Gluten

Most beer contains malted barley, among other ingredients, and barley contains a protein called gluten. Some people are sensitive to gluten. At the extreme end of this sensitivity is celiac disease, a disorder in which gluten triggers the body's immune system into attacking the lining of the small intestine. If you suffer from gluten sensitivity, avoid beer made from barley. Thanks to the growing awareness of celiac disease, some brewers are now offering gluten-free beers.


Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/509506-bad-effects-of-beer/#ixzz2CqCtZzeP

maclatunji: What Are the Negative Effects of Soft Drinks?

Soft drinks -- soda and other sugary drinks such as sweetened iced tea, fruit drinks and energy drinks -- add sugar and calories to your diet without providing much, if any, nutrition. While just one 12 oz. soda contains approximately 8 tsp. of sugar, the recommended daily limit for women equals 6 tsp. and for men equals 9 tsp., MayoClinic.com says. Most Americans average 22 tsp.of sugar per day. Too much sugar in your diet may lead to health problems.

Overweight Children

Soda and other sweetened beverages are significant factors in the increased rate of childhood obesity, which can lead to type 2 diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea and high blood pressure. Adolescents get 15 tsp. of sugar per day from soft drinks, which makes up approximately 11 percent of their total calories, according to the NetWellness website. Excess sugar can also come from juices. Ounce for ounce, cranberry juice cocktail has more sugar than soda, and orange juice has the same amount, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Harvard recommends that sweetened beverages should be drunk rarely or not at all.

Metabolic Syndrome

If you're a middle-aged adult who drinks more than one soft drink daily, your risk of heart disease may increase. When three out of the five factors of metabolic syndrome are present -- increased waist circumference, elevated blood sugar, triglycerides and blood pressure and a low level of HDL cholesterol -- heart disease risk goes up, according to the Framingham Heart Study, "Soft Drink Consumption and Risk of Developing Cardio-Metabolic Risk Factors and the Metabolic Syndrome in Middle Aged Adults in the Community." Unexpectedly, researchers found diet soda drinkers also at increased risk. They speculate it may be due to the fact that those who consume soft drinks regularly also get less exercise and eat diets higher in fats and calories. Metabolic syndrome also indicates and increased risk for diabetes.

Diabetes Risk

Tossing back just one soft drink per day, whether regular or artificially sweetened, can elevate your risk of type 2 diabetes by 15 percent, according to a Harvard study reported by AARP. Two soft drinks per day can increase your risk to 26 percent. Although type 2 diabetes was once rare in children, the rate is now 30 to 50 percent, according to Dr. Gerald Bernstein of New York's Beth Israel Medical Center. Type 2 diabetes -- which can lead to cognitive decline, dementia and heart and kidney disease -- is linked to repeatedly overloading the body with large amounts of simple sugars, the type found in soft drinks.


Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/320544-what-are-the-negative-effects-of-soft-drinks/#ixzz2CqDktRJN

candygosh: No copy n paste.
Am a food technologist and I tell you that beer is higher in sugar and poses more threat to its consumers than those taking softdrinks.
Beer contains hops, barley, malt etc as their main ingredients which of cos are carbohydrate based.
All these malts you see low sugar content are pure commercial lies.