It's something we've all tried at some point in our lives. For most of us, it is something we used to drink extensively during our childhood. Sipping on sodas like Coke, Pepsi, Fanta, and so on after our evening sporting activities with our friends was the definition of what life was like back then. It was the energy drink long before we knew what it was.
However, unlike in our childhood, we can't get away with drinking a lot of soda anymore.
With the increasing demand and consumption of soft drinks in India, let's take a look at 2 shocking statistics -
The rate of consumption per head in India is expected to reach 3.91 L in the year 2022.
By the year 2023, the soft drink segment is supposed to increase at a rate of 2.4%.
We know that due to the sugar content and preservatives added in it, it does create a toxic effect in the body. So let's understand how soda (like Coke and diet Coke) affects your health.
I will break it down into three different aspects:
1. Why does Soda Melts Your Bones?
Soda has the potential to melt your bones. Let’s talk about why.
There are different ingredients in soda, such as high-fructose corn syrup and phosphoric acid, that can negatively affect your health.
A few ingredients in soda and their impacts on your bone health:
1. High-fructose corn syrup:
• Depletes vitamin D
• Depletes calcium
• Causes calcium dumping from the kidneys
• Depletes magnesium (Magnesium deficiency increases the risk of osteoporosis. Magnesium is needed to build bone and absorb vitamin D. Magnesium deficiency will also cause the parathyroid to rob calcium from the bones.)
2. Phosphoric acid:
• Increases the risk of osteoporosis and osteopenia
• Weakens the teeth
• Decreases the absorption of iron and zinc
3. Caffeine:
• Leeches calcium from the bones
2. What If You Drank 2.2 Liters of Coca-Cola Every Day?
Let's learn more about the effects that sodas like Coca-Cola have on your health.
There is a state in Mexico where people consume, on average, 2.2 litres of Coca-Cola every day. It’s even been incorporated into certain religious rituals, and 3% of babies in Chiapas, Mexico, are given Coca-Cola.
Consuming 2.2 litres of Coca-Cola a day is equivalent to consuming 208 grams of sugar or 52 teaspoons of sugar a day. In Chiapas, Mexico, heart disease is the #1 cause of death, and diabetes is the second-highest cause of death.
Coca-Cola contains fructose, which has a similar effect on the liver as consuming alcohol. It also has glucose, which will destroy important nutrients and can lead to many different health issues.
It’s not just sugar that you have to worry about—Coca-Cola also contains phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acid is very corrosive and can cause cavities, an increased risk for osteoporosis, and certain nutrient deficiencies.
There is also a lot of caffeine in Coca-Cola, as well as colouring. The caramel colouring creates a certain compound, which is a damaged protein. Damaged proteins are involved in many different chronic degenerative diseases.
3. What does Too Much Diet Soda do To Your Body And Brain?
Artificial sweeteners are one of diet soda’s main ingredients. But studies have shown that the artificial sweeteners in diet sodas can cause a series of health problems.
In the early 1960s, a new kind of beverage took center stage. It wasn’t a new shape, colour, or flavour. No, this was diet soda. And it was awesome.
With fewer calories and less sugar, diet soda promised to be a healthier alternative to regular soda. But like most promises in life that sound too good to be true, they probably are.
Can you tell the difference between a glass of regular and diet soda? It turns out, neither can your body. And that’s where the trouble starts.
Until recently, everything we ate contained some amount of calories. When we ate something sweet, for example, the brain sent signals to our pancreas, which started producing insulin, which stored the sugar molecules in our cells for energy.
So, when we drink diet soda, the sweetness tricks our body into thinking it’s real sugar. But when those energy-packed calories don’t arrive, the insulin has nothing to store.
Scientists think that repeatedly tricking our body this way could explain why study after study keeps finding the same thing: that drinking diet soda is associated with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a mix of conditions that include: increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, and weight gain. Which can increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
In fact, one study found that diet soda drinkers had a higher risk of stroke and dementia than regular soda drinkers. In another 8-year study conducted between 1979 and 1988, participants who began at a normal weight and drank an average of 21 diet beverages per week faced DOUBLE the risk of becoming overweight or obese by the end of the study when compared to those who avoided diet beverages entirely.
And, while it may appear that drinking diet soda with a meal is a tasty, calorie-free alternative to plain water, a growing body of research suggests that it is the WORST time to do so. This is because the fake calories in diet soda could ultimately disrupt how many of the real calories we metabolize, potentially leaving excess calories behind that we then store as fat.
Another issue could be the fact that artificial sweeteners in diet sodas can be tens to hundreds of times sweeter than sugar. So when we taste it, our brains anticipate more calories than what we give it. It’s like when you go to a party expecting loads of food and you end up with a handful of veggies and vegan cheese. You’re left unsatisfied and hangry. In the same way, artificial sweeteners can leave our brains wanting more, which studies have shown leads to increased appetite, and potential weight gain, in fruit flies, mice, and humans.
So if the reason you’re drinking diet soda is to drop a few kilos, maybe stick to water.
Let me know your thoughts below.
Data:
Soft Drink Sales Statistics 2022 Facts, Trend and Demand Analysis:
Colas, but not other carbonated beverages, are associated with low bone mineral density in older women:
Osteoporosis Diet Dangers: Foods to Avoid:
High Consumption of Soft Drinks Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Fracture:
Analysis of Association between Vitamin D Deficiency and Insulin Resistance:
Role of Magnesium in Vitamin D Activation and Function:
Dietary Advanced Glycation End Products and Aging:
Diet-derived advanced glycation end products are major contributors to the body's AGE pool and induce inflammation in healthy subjects:
Assessment of the Concentrations of Various Advanced Glycation End-Products in Beverages and Foods That Are Commonly Consumed in Japan:
With average daily consumption of 2.2 litres of Coca-Cola, Chiapas leads the world: https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/with-average-daily-consumption-of-2-2-liters-of-coca-cola-chiapas-leads-the-world/
The Honest Coca-Cola Obesity Commercial:
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