Why Soft Drinks Are Bad for Our Health

With the emphasis on being healthy in recent years, soft drinks are coming under attack. Recent research has indicated the problems of soft drinks; in fact, there are many reasons why they are bad for our health. Here are just a few of the many reasons you may want to avoid drinking soft drinks from now on.

* There is absolutely no nutritional value in soft drinks. They are basically filtered water and sugar. It is estimated that 57 gallons of soft drinks are consumed for the average American.

* Because there is little more than water and sugar in soft drinks, the extra calories may cause those drinking them to gain weight. In fact, if a person drinks only one 330 ml can of drink each day, they will easily add one pound to their weight every month. Researchers have also indicated those drinking soft drinks are 1.6 times more at risk of becoming obese.

* Once a person becomes obese, the chance of their developing diabetes increases. The body can no longer process the sugar it consumes; experts believe the increase from 6.6 million in the 1980s to 20.8 million diabetics today is largely due to consuming soft drinks on a regular basis.

* Soft drinks have also been linked to weakened bones and increased risk for osteoporosis. How is this possible? Instead of drinking calcium-rich milk, people are drinking soft drinks. Soft drinks may also promote the loss of calcium which weakens the bones even further.

* Since soft drinks are thought to lessen the calcium in your body, it makes sense the teeth would also be affected. The acidity of soft drinks also increases tooth decay and makes teeth more sensitive than they would be if the person drank other beverages.

* Kidney damage and kidney stones are other potential problems, especially for those who regularly drink colas. Non-colas don