Unknown Health Effects of Soda

Health August 12, 2015

This post was last updated on August 3rd, 2016

Understanding the health effects of the soda

A regular intake of soda is not at all good for your health and can cause many diseases. Following are some of the side effects of drinking soda:

Obesity

In a journal published by the Danish researchers, it has been mentioned that the regular consumption of soda can lead to obesity. Intake of sugar and calories through these sodas can lead the increase enhancement in the fat around the skeleton muscles, tummy and around the liver resulting in diabetes and low production of insulin.

The study was based on a research conducted on a group of people for six months. It reveals that regular intake of soda for six months has caused 135 to 145 percent rise in the liver fat, 117 to 221 percent increase in the skeleton fat, enhancement of 30 percent in the triglyceride fat and the fat in other organs. In addition to it, there was an increment in the cholesterol level also.

Diabetes

The soda is high in calories and sugar. We have already discussed that the regular intake of the soda leads to obesity. Overweight is more at risk of developing diabetes and a great amount of sugar present in these sodas also adds up the risk.

A research by the University of Texas Health Science conducted on 475 people for five years showed that the adults who were drinking the soda regularly had experienced more than 70 percent increase in waist size in comparison to those who do not drink any soda. The aspartame present in the soda increases the glucose level in the blood and reduces the insulin production resulting in diabetes.

Cancer

Many do not know that drinking soda can cause cancer. The non-profit Centre for science in 2011 had filed a petition in the food and drug administration to ban all leading soda production companies from using artificial caramel coloring. The methylimidazole2 and 4-methylimidazole are the two contaminants found in the artificial caramel coloring. It has been proved that these two components are responsible for causing cancer in the animals. 4-methylimizole’s 16 micrograms consumption by a person per day is enough for causing cancer.

Ageing

Drinking soda leads to aging. To give the soda a tangy taste phosphates or phosphoric acid is added to it. The phosphoric acid can cause kidney and heart problems. FASEB journal in 2010 published a study that revealed that the phosphate levels that are found in soda had caused the death of the lab rats five weeks earlier in comparison to the one that had normal phosphate level. These excessive phosphate levels in the soda definitely have an adverse effect on our health.

Drinking soda occasionally is okay, but excess of anything is harmful for sure. The best way is to switch over to natural fruit juices and coconut water if you are looking for refreshments.