Carbonated soft drinks (a.k.a. Soda, pop, carbonated beverage, fizzy drink)
Soft drink is a type of beverage which is primarily based on carbonated water where a natural or an artificial sweetener is used as a flavoring ingredient. The most common sweetening agents used in carbonated beverages are:
- Sugar
- High fructose corn syrup
- Fruit juice
- Chemical sugar substitutes such as Aspartame, Sucralose and Alitame
- Other synthetic sweeteners
There are 2 primary types of sweetening agents
- Natural sugar based sweeteners
- Sugar substitutes based sweeteners
Although both serve the same function of flavoring the beverages, both are radically different. When taken in high volumes or even low doses long term, the sugar substitutes may elevate the levels of harmful substance intoxication
Side effects & dangers of sugar sweetened soft drinks when too much soda is consumed
In large quantities sugar is toxic and contributes to about 30 million deaths worldwide each year from diseases such as heart disease, cancer and obesity associated health conditions. It is also linked to the following chronic conditions:
- Bacterial overgrowth resulting in chronic Candida, acne and array of other infections associated with excess sugar in the body
- Systemic changes in metabolism
- Blood pressure
- Adrenaline glands exhaustion
- Liver damage
- Offsetting HDL and LDL cholesterol levels
- Systemic infections & cancers of pancreas, uterus, urinary tract, skin and breasts associated with lowered immune function
- Increased insulin resistance
Side effects & dangers of sugar substitutes in soft drinks
Although sugar substitutes significantly reduce or virtually eliminate calories from the soft drinks, the dangers are posed from the substance composition of the sweetener substitutes such as Aspartame, Sucralose and Alitame.
The following are the health dangers of sugar substitutes associated when too much soda (soft drinks) is consumed over prolonged periods of time
- Increased substance toxicity – the sugar substitutes are not completely excreted from the body, causing abnormal levels of synthetic chemicals accumulation in tissues
- Formation of lesions in liver and kidneys caused by substance intoxication
- Disturbances of intestinal flora possibly causing malnutrition and cancer of the stomach
- Autoimmune conditions such as lupus, Graves’ disease, fibromaylagia, multiple sclerosis and other degenerative diseases
- Weight gain
- Gradual memory loss
- Depression & anxiety
- Central nervous system damage
Avoiding sugar and chemical sugar substitutes intoxication and poisoning
- Avoid consuming of too much soda by hydrating with lemon water when your thirst is at its peak
- Balance the amounts of sugar in the diet
- Consume beverages that contain Stevia as a sugar substitute