The average Nigerian drinks approximately 56 GALLONS of soda a year. Some people even admit to drinking more soda than water each day, or no water at all. Soft drinks are a multi-billion naira product, and they account for a quarter of all drinks consumed in Nigeria. With Nigerians consuming this large amount of soft drinks each year, it becomes important to evaluate how soft drinks can influence a person’s health. With a little research, it becomes clear that even moderate consumption of soda can be dangerous.
DISCLAIMER: This thread is not to spoil anyone's business. Consumers have the right to give healthily opinion on any product they use. This is wellness.
Ten Reasons to Avoid Soft Drink
Consumption:
1. A single can of soda contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. This amount of sugar, especially in liquid form, skyrockets the blood sugar and causes an insulin reaction in the body. Over time, this can lead to diabetes or insulin resistance, not to mention weight gain and other health problems. Soft drink companies are the largest user of sugar in the country.
2. Soda contains phosphoric acid, which
interferes with the body’s ability to absorb
calcium and can lead to osteoporosis, cavities and bone softening. Phosphoric
Acid also interacts with stomach acid,
slowing digestion and blocking nutrient
absorption.
3. In diet sodas, aspartame is used as a
substitute for sugar, and can actually be
more harmful. It has been linked to almost a hundred different health problems including seizures, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, diabetes, and emotional disorders. It converts to methanol at warm temperatures and methanol breaks down to formaldehyde and formic acid. Diet sodas also increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, which causes belly fat, high blood sugar and raised cholesterol.
4. Most sodas contain caffeine, which has been linked to certain cancers, breast lumps, irregular heart beat, high blood pressure, and other problems.
5. The water used in soda is just simple tap
water and can contain chemicals like
chlorine, fluoride and traces of heavy metals.
6. Harvard researchers have recently positively linked soft drinks to obesity. The study found that 12 year olds who drank soda were more likely to be obese than those who didn’t, and for each serving of soda consumed daily, the risk of obesity
increased 1.6 times.
7. Sodas contain High Fructose Corn Syrup,
which obviously comes from corn. Most of
this corn has been genetically modified, and there are no long term studies showing the safety of genetically modified crops, as genetic modification of crops has only been around since the 1990s. Also, the process of making High Fructose Corn Syrup involves traces of mercury, which causes a variety of long term health problems.
8. There is absolutely no nutritional value in soda whatsoever. Not only are there many harmful effects of soda, but there are not even any positive benefits to outweigh them. Soda is an unnatural substance that harms the body.
9. Because of the high sugar, sodium and
caffeine content in soda, it dehydrates the
body and over a long period of time can
cause chronic dehydration.
10. Drinking soda regularly causes plaque to build up on the teeth and can lead to cavities and gum disease.