Soda, affectionately referred to as fizzy drinks due to their bubbly nature, refers to a sugary, addictive beverage that has rapidly crept its way into society in the last fifty years. Popular brands like Coca Cola, Pepsi, and other Sparletta products are consumed by masses of people all over the world, making billions of dollars a year. Consuming a large number of fizzy drinks in a week is not a good idea for your health, as there are considerations to keep in mind, including an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, possible weight gain and even damaging your teeth in the process. Let’s explore why you should be cutting fizzy drinks from your diet.
Why You Should Cut Fizzy Drinks From Your Diet
Reason #1: Diabetes
Diabetes is a common disease that affects the blood sugar in the body. Blood glucose is our main source of energy, and if this spikes rapidly, or drops equally, our bodies struggle to recover effectively. Blood glucose comes from the food we eat, and if you consume a lot of high sugar products like fizzy drinks, your likelihood of developing diabetes increases exponentially. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps to regulate blood glucose levels. When you have diabetes, the pancreas cannot regulate your blood glucose levels, which can lead to many health complications. Type 1 diabetes is hereditary, while type 2 is caused by diet and lifestyle.
Reason #2: Weight Gain
Weight gain refers to increase your body weight, usually increase fat deposit, muscle mass, or excess fluid. Weight gain can be a symptom of a serious medical condition and being overweight or obese can lead to a multitude of health complications. Sugary drinks contain a lot of calories, so coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, fizzy drinks can contribute to rapid weight gain. This puts a lot of pressure on your internal organs and can lead to additional problems like depression and low self-esteem.
Weight Gain
Reason #3: Heart Disease
Heart disease refers to a range of conditions that affect the healthy functioning of your heart. This could include blood vessel disease, coronary artery disease and even problems of the rhythm of your heart. We’ve already learned how sugary drinks can increase your risk of getting type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is directly linked to heart disease too, meaning that the excess consumption of fizzy drinks can eventually lead to you developing heart disease. This has ended the lives of many young people across the world and is a telltale sign in some forty-somethings having heart attacks at such a young age.
Reason #4: Damaging Your Teeth
Last but not least, you should cut fizzy drinks from your diet because they have a negative effect on your dental health in the long run. Tooth decay refers to the destruction of your tooth enamel (the hard outer layer of your teeth). Sugary drinks cause the bacteria in plaque to produce acids, which directly attack the tooth enamel. Drinking a lot of fizzy drinks, especially late at night and forgetting to brush your teeth after, can have catastrophic effects on your teeth in the long run. Switch to water, and most of the problems mentioned here will be worries of the past.
