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Soft Drinks Terrorizes Our Health

It turns out that being overweight is not only caused by food. There are other factors that can cause weight gain, but it is rarely realized. One of them is drinks high in sugar, such as soft drinks. Carbonated water, sweeteners, colorings and preservatives are ingredients that are generally contained in soft drinks. In fact, some types of soft drinks also contain caffeine and alcohol, although in small amounts. Therefore, the drink should be shunned by both adults and children. Many studies link the effect of consumption of soft drinks with health problems, such as stroke, kidney disorders, high blood pressure, obesity and cancer, especially if often consumed for a long time. On the other hand, studies that reveal that consumption of soft drinks are not related to health problems tend to be sponsored by soda drink producers.

Various Health Problems Caused By Soft Drinks

The following health problems can be caused by soft drinks and the facts, including:

Increase the risk of stroke and heart attack

Research states that the risk of heart attack and stroke increases in people who consume soft drinks that are high in sugar every day. This is thought to occur because the habit of consuming soft drinks associated with increased cholesterol, insulin resistance, and inflammation.

Soft drinks can cause obesity

Soft drinks are one of the causes of obesity, if consumed in excessive amounts. High sugar in soft drinks causes fat deposits to cause obesity. The study also found that most obese children get 1000-2000 calories a day just from soft drinks.

Soft drinks can make blood sugar difficult to control

The effect of this soft drink is not good for diabetics. Very high sugar and calories, plus the absence of other important nutrients in soft drinks, is considered to increase the risk of diabetes complications and health problems.

Increases the risk of osteoporosis because it interferes with calcium absorption

This assumption arises because there are studies that find a relationship between consumption of soft drinks with low bone mineral density. Although some scientific evidence shows similar conclusions, this assumption still needs further investigation. In addition, there are other allegations that state that phosphoric acid and caffeine in soft drinks can reduce the absorption of calcium in bones, thus causing osteoporosis. If you want to maintain healthy bones, low-fat milk is the type of drink you need the most. In addition, weight training and regular consumption of calcium-rich foods, such as broccoli, cheese and egg yolks, will also help.

Serious health problems due to phenylalanine content

Soft drinks are generally added with artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame which contains phenylalanine. This substance is called the risk of causing brain damage, mental retardation, seizures, and health problems in people with genetic disorders of phenylketonuria. Blood tests can be done to detect whether someone is suffering from the disorder. In general, in high doses, aspartame can cause a significant increase in phenylalanine levels in the brain. Therefore, the consumption of foods and beverages that use artificial sweeteners, including soft drinks, is recommended to be restricted especially for people with the following conditions:
  • Having sleep disorders and mental disorders, because phenylalanine can worsen anxiety attacks.
  • Take antipsychotic drugs or those containing levodopa.
  • Patients with impaired muscular movements dyskinesia dyskinesia.

Tooth decay

Generally, soft drinks contain high sugar levels, including glucose and fructose. Both of these substances can increase the risk of cavities. In addition, some soft drinks contain acids that can cause damage to the enamel. Brushing your teeth regularly and using a straw when drinking soft drinks can reduce these risks. Consuming diet soda in limited quantities, is relatively safe because the levels of artificial sweeteners are considered not harmful to health. Although diet soda calories are less than regular soda, this drink is also not a good drink to consume every day. Mineral water, tea without sugar, or low-fat milk, is much better than soft drinks.

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