The Truth about Soda

Soda has become a drink that has gotten out of control in our society. When Soda was first introduced it was supposed to be a dessert item or a celebration drink. It was intended to be a drink that was only drank on rare occasions. It was also supposed to be drank around 6-8oz. However, none of the above is the case anymore. Our society drinks soda in the same manner we are supposed to drink water. Even a single can of soda is 12oz. The normal can is slowly fading away. We now consume 20oz bottles and even buy 1 liter bottles of soda to drink as a single serving. Fast food restaurants had to do even one better and now sell soda that comes in 64oz cups. This is ridiculous!

 

The high amount of calories itself should steer you away from drinking soda. The average soda has about 150-160 calories per can. The average American consumes over 53 gallons of soda per year. This is close to a little over a gallon of soda a week. With current nutritional information suggesting each person drink 8 glasses of water a day, it becomes increasingly concerning when, according to a Beverage Marketing Press Release, one in every four beverages consumed in America today is a soft drink. In fact Americans drink more soda than they do water on a daily basis. Soft drinks are the best-selling product today in our grocery stores. Soda outsells basic food items including fruits and vegetables, taking in over $11.7 billion in sales annually. With these sales figures, Soda ranks as the #3 leading beverage and offers absolutely no benefit to its drinkers over other beverages (including water) besides containing excess sugar.

Soda does not offer any benefits to your nutrition. Soda mostly consists of filtered water and refined sugars. Many people don't realize that drinking 1 can of sugar filled soda a day translates to more than 1 pound of weight gain per month. Several scientific studies have provided experimental evidence that soft drinks are directly related to weight gain. The relationship between soft drink consumption and body weight is so strong that researchers calculate that for each additional soda consumed, the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times. The number of problems that soda can cause is countless. It has shown to cause or increase negative effects to the kidneys, liver, heartburn, metabolism, digestive system, dehydration, cell damage and of course weight gain.

Soda should not be consumed by anyone that cares about their health. Soda has taken over the world and is in my opinion just as negative as any kind of drug that is currently illegal. Do your body and your life a favor and find a healthier alternative to soda.