Soft Drinks are Health Hazard:
Summer is here, and sitting in the hot sun seems like the perfect time to reach for that fizzy soda. But, I’m sure that many of you already know that carbonated soft drinks are the villains robbing us of good health, but just in case you or your kids are still sneaking in a soda here and there, the following list will serve as a reminder to ditch soft drinks once and for all.
The good news is that there is a healthy, cultured option to junky sodas that you can make at home! Yes, Lemo Pani.
Health Hazards of Soft Drinks:
1. Asthma:
The preservative, sodium benzoate, found in sodas and many other processed food products can trigger allergic reactions, including asthma, and eczema.
2. Kidney Troubles:
The high content of phosphoric acid in sodas are linked to kidney stones and other related malaise.
3. Sugar Attack:
High-fructose corn syrup and other processed sugars in soft drinks cause a severe insulin spike and crash which can lead to mood swings, energy depletion, and addiction to sugar.
4. Obesity:
The connection between sugar consumption and obesity is undisputed. For every additional soda consumed, the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times.
(Obesity is defined by a BMI of 30 or above.)
5. Bad Teeth:
Sugar and acid in soft drinks dissolve tooth enamel.
6. Heart Disease:
Studies show that both men and women who averaged one can of sugary soda per day had a 40% higher risk of having a heart attack compared with those who rarely consumed such drinks.
7. Reproductive Problems:
Soda cans are lined with BPA (bisphenyl-A), a resin that is shown to cause endocrine problems, leading to negative reproductive health.
8. Weakened Bones:
Phosphoric acid found in sodas leaches out calcium from the body. The formation of bones and their integrity depends on calcium.
9. Diabetes:
People who consume one to two cans per day have a 26% higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared with those who rarely have soft drinks.
Source: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/sugary-drinks/