THE DISADVANTAGES OF SOFT DRINKS
The Disadvantages of Soft Drinks
Soft drinks have become the beverage of choice for many
people, replacing healthier drinks such as water and milk. People in different
parts of the country refer to soft drinks with many different names, including
soda, pop or cola. Although they are pleasing to the palate, drinking soft
drinks on a regular basis poses many disadvantages.
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Dehydration
Water makes up approximately 60 percent of your total body
weight. Each day you lose water through urination, breathing and sweating. The
lost water must be replaced to keep your body functioning. Although the
recommended fluid intake varies based on your health, your level of activity
and where you live, doctors generally recommend adults drink 8 to 9 cups a day,
according to MayoClinic.com. Replacing water with soft drinks fails to provide
adequate hydration because the high sugar content and caffeine in soft drinks
promote dehydration.
Too Much Sugar
Regular soft drinks, meaning those not sold as diet soft
drinks, contain significant amounts of sugar. One can of cola contains 39 g of
sugar which equals 3.3 tbsp. of sugar, according to Wichita State
University
Empty Calories
The U.S. Department of Agriculture 2005 Dietary Guidelines
for Americans suggests the average adult consume between 1,800 and 2,500
calories per day, depending on gender and level of activity. To meet your daily
nutritional needs, meaning to get the recommended amounts of vitamins and
minerals, within your daily calorie intake you need to consume nutrient dense
foods -- foods that provide the highest level of nutrients in the fewest
calories. The average can of cola contain 140 calories. Drinking soft drinks in
the place of other beverages such as water significantly increases your calorie
intake without providing any nutrients.
Carbonation
Soft drinks contain carbonation. To carbonate a liquid you
must saturate it with carbon dioxide creating carbonic acid -- the hydrated
form of carbon dioxide. The carbonation creates the tiny bubbles that give soft
drinks their distinctive feel in the mouth. Although carbonation is one of the
factors that draws so many to drink soft drinks, ingesting carbonation causes a
buildup of gases in the body that leads to excessive burping.
Reduction in Healthy Foods
Maintaining a healthy weight requires eating a low-fat
diet that provides only the number of calories you body needs to function.
Consuming more calories than you body uses within a day leads to weight gain. A
study conducted by Bowman and associates and published in the January 2004
issue of "Pediatrics" reveals that children who consume
sugar-sweetened soft drinks drink less milk and eat less fruits and vegetables.
This combination of factors increases the risk of obesity, a condition that
affects one-third of the adults in the U.S. , according to the 2007-2008
statistics provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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