Warnings of the dangers of consuming soft drinks reached us in 1942 when the American Medical Association (AMA) Council on Nutrition and Nutrition made the following noble declaration:
“From a health perspective, it is desirable to limit the use of sugars in particular, such as the consumption of sweetened carbonated drinks and sweets of low nutritional value. The Council considers that it is in the interest of public health that all practical means be taken to limit the consumption of sugar in any form in which it is not combined with significant proportions of other foods of high nutritional quality.
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Colossal increase in consumption of soft drinks
The colossal increase in the consumption of soft drinks is no coincidence, but is due to intensive marketing efforts by the soft drink companies. For soft drink marketing, the adult market is stagnant, so kids are the target. Soft drink manufacturers spend billions on advertising. Many of these marketing efforts are aimed at children through playgrounds, toys, cartoons, films, videos, charities, and amusement parks; and through contests, sweepstakes, games and clubs via television, radio, magazines and the Internet. Your efforts have paid off.
In 1998, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) warned the public that soft drink manufacturers were beginning to infiltrate our schools and kids’ clubs. As our children face the undiminished publicity surrounding soft drinks, evidence of their dangers mounts. The consumption of soft drinks is fraught with dangers. As practitioners and advocates of a healthy lifestyle, we recognize that consuming just one or two sodas a day is undeniably linked to a multitude of pathologies.
The most commonly associated health risks are obesity, diabetes and other blood sugar disorders, tooth decay, osteoporosis and broken bones, nutritional deficiencies, heart disease, binge eating and eating disorders, neurotransmitter disorders from chemical sweeteners, and neurological and adrenal disorders from excessive caffeine.
A common problem I’ve seen over the years, particularly in teenagers, is general gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort. These include elevated levels of stomach acid, requiring antacids, and moderate to severe gastric inflammation with possible erosion of the stomach lining. The most [https://bendersverige.com/] common complaint I hear is chronic “stomach ache”. In almost all cases, symptoms disappear when the client successfully abstains from soda and caffeine. Another problem with soda is that it acts as a dehydrating diuretic, similar to tea, coffee, and alcohol. All of these beverages can interfere with proper digestive function. It is much healthier to consume herbal teas, nutritious soups and broths, of course beverages and water to meet our daily hydration needs. These liquids support, not inhibit, digestion.
Ingredients
- Aspartame, used in diet sodas, is a powerful neurotoxin and endocrine disruptor.
- Caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands without providing nutrition. Caffeine in large amounts can cause adrenal fatigue, especially in children.
- Phosphoric acid, added to give soft drinks “bite,” has been linked to calcium loss.
- Citric acid often contains traces of MSG, a neurotoxin.
- Artificial flavors may also contain traces of MSG.
- Water can contain large amounts of fluoride and other contaminants.
Soft drinks and violence
According to an article published in The Lancet in December 2000, the Irish government ordered “urgent investigations” into the effects of so-called “functional energy” or stimulant soft drinks following the death of an 18-year-old who died while playing basketball. He had consumed three cans of Red Bull, a stimulating soft drink. The article noted that there are reports of an increase in aggressive nighttime violence that occurs when people switch to these beverages while drowsy from too much alcohol. The resulting violence has been so pervasive that some establishments in Ireland have refused to sell stimulant drinks.
Students are now given “electrolyte” drinks called ergogenic aids to replace electrolytes allegedly depleted during exercise. There are three problems with using these drinks as a rehydration solution. First, most soft drinks are diuretics, meaning they force fluids out of the body, making dehydration worse rather than correcting it. Second, most people actually lose very few electrolytes during exercise. After a workout, the body is usually in an electrolyte load as it has lost more fluid than electrolytes.
Fruit juices
Consumers often drink commercial fruit juices energy drinks under the belief that they are healthier than soft drinks. However, the production of fruit juices is a highly industrialized process. Fruit juices are high in sugar and have actually been more damaging to the teeth of test animals than sodas!
