By now, we're all aware that consumption of sugary beverages is bad for our health—but how bad is it, really? According to the Harvard School of Public Health, consuming sugary soft drinks could be more harmful to our bodies than most of us would like to believe.
According to the HSPH, soda consumption is one of the major contributors to the recent US obesity epidemic. In fact, in 2001, sugar-laden soft drinks accounted for almost ten percent of the average American's daily caloric intake.
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If the risk of obesity isn't enough for you to kick the soda habit, here's five more health risks that are heightened by soda consumption:
1. Diabetes
Along with added pounds comes the risk of diabetes. With soda consumption being a large contributor to obesity, it's only fitting that it also heightens the risk of type two diabetes. Additionally, the obscene amount of sugar contained in soda wreaks havoc on a person's ability to process sugar and regulate insulin—two functions that directly relate to the onset of diabetes.
2. Kidney Stones
Dark sodas, in particular, heighten your risk for forming kidney stones. This is because of the high concentration of phosphoric acid in dark sodas—a substance that chemically alters your urine, promoting kidney stone formation. According to Mercola, drinking three cans of soda per week can increase your risk of developing kidney stones by fifteen percent.
3. Osteoporosis
Along with kidney stone formation, phosphoric acid also promotes bone loss. Phosphoric acid has the tendency to soften the bone mass and lower calcium levels, while heightening phosphate levels. As a result, calcium is leached from the bone, leading to reduced bone density
4. Tooth Decay
The high amount of sugar present in soda—coupled with its extreme acidity—are terrible for oral health. According to Mercola, soft drinks are responsible for tripling the occurrence of tooth decay since their rise in popularity.
5. Heart Disease
The high amount of sugar content in sodas can result in a condition called metabolic syndrome. The symptoms associated with metabolic syndrome can eventually lead to a heightened risk in heart disease, the #1 cause of death in the United States.
Clearly, soda consumption is terrible for your body in more way than one. It can impede your body's ability to function normally and can often lead to debilitating diseases. Although soda may seem like a harmless treat, it can lead to many health-related risks in addition to the ones mentioned above.
Your best bet to avoiding these ailments is to simply stick with water. If water's not your thing, you can always try products like Perrier or LaCroix—carbonated beverages that are naturally flavored without all the disease-causing sugar and chemicals.
