In fact…compared to just 25 years ago, Americans are now drinking…twice as much soft drinks,…an average of 56 gallons (or, 212 liters) a year! That’s nearly 2 cans a day for every man, woman, and child. Amazing as it may sound, the average American consumes more soft drinks than water! (But America is not alone, across the globe, people everywhere are drinking more soft drinks than ever before.)
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED IF THESE DRINKS HAVE ANY IMPACT ON YOUR PERSONAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING?
When most people open the pull tab on their favorite can of cola, it doesn’t come to mind that they are about to take a long drink of an…artificially colored, chemically flavored mixture of carbonated water, phosphoric acid, sweeteners, preservatives, and caffeine.
Research suggests that these soft drinks present personal health risks, both because of what they contain and what they replace in the diet. Let’s begin by taking a look at the sugar these drinks contain.
Carbonated drinks are the single largest source of refined sugars in the American diet…more than 1/3 of the total sugar consumption.
With your average soft drink containing 8-12 teaspoons of sugar, there are many potential health hazards. Here are just a few of them.
# 1. A WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEM
Sugary soft drinks are one reason for frequent colds, flu, and infections.
Scientific evidence has shown that sugar hinders our body’s ability to fight off bacteria and keep us well. Just one soft drink, containing 12 tsp. of sugar is enough to weaken the protective ability of our body’s white blood cells…by 60%, for 5 hours.
When you consider how often throughout the day some people consume soft drinks and other sugary foods, it becomes obvious that their white blood cells are not functioning very effectively for many hours of each day.
# 2. UNBALANCED NUTRITION
Although most soft drinks contain LOTS of calories from sugar, they have NO nutritional value. Drinking 2 or 3 soft drinks can considerably reduce the amount of good, nutritious food a person eats each day. This significantly decreases their nutrition.
Research shows that heavy soft-drink consumption is linked with low intake of essential B vitamins, and minerals such as calcium, copper, and chromium as well as a high intake of calories, fat, and sugars.
WHAT’S THE RESULT?
Malnutrition is the main concern that many health experts have with the rising soft drink consumption.
One U.S. government study found that only 2% of children and teenagers, ages 2- to 19, met all of the federal recommendations for a healthy diet.
Did you know that one out of five one and two-year-old children already consume soft drinks? These soda drinking toddlers average nearly one cup per day, which considering their body size is quite significant.
# 3. WHAT ABOUT EXTRA CALORIES?
Lots of soft drinks, means lots of sugar, which also means lots of calories.
Along with increased soft drink consumption has come an increase in obesity. With a typical soft drink containing 150 calories, the average American, within just one year will take in…over 64,000 calories of sugar from soft drinks alone! Now….it takes 3,500 calories to make one pound of fat.
Assuming you’re already eating enough to maintain your weight, and in addition…you drink 2 cans (24 ounces) of soft drinks daily, how many days would it take to “drink on” an extra pound? Drinking the average 2 cans a day; it would take…just under 12 days to hang an extra pound of fat. At this rate you could gain 30 pounds a year from soft drinks alone! It’s no wonder diet drinks have become so popular! But are they really a good solution?
Most diet soft drinks are sweetened artificially and contain less than one-calorie per 12 ounces.
Do these low calorie soft drinks really work to help us stay fit and trim? Current research says “no.”
One study of over 75,000 women found that those who used artificial sweeteners were significantly more likely than nonusers to gain weight over time.
Another study found that diet soda drinkers ate more food and gained more weight than when they were free to drink regular sugar-sweetened soft drinks. The researchers concluded that these artificial sweeteners increased both hunger and appetite. And soft drinks are associated with still more health concerns.
Nearly all soft drinks contain chemical additives for color, flavor, and preservation. During 1996, it is estimated that worldwide, people were “drinking” twenty million-six hundred thousand tons of chemicals, from soft drinks alone! That’s nearly 9 pounds (or, 4 kilograms) for every man, woman, and child. Several of these soft drink additives are raising significant health concerns.
Among them is caffeine. Relatively few people realize the degree with which caffeine can impact their personal health.
Even if a soft drink is caffeine free, most contain phosphoric acid, or phosphorus. Phosphorous combines…with calcium, depleting the body of this essential mineral…by eliminating it through the kidneys.
With today’s concerns about osteoporosis and brittle bones, the fact that each of these soft drinks takes some calcium from the bones could be a greater risk than you want to take.
When I think of soft drinks and all of their unpleasant aftereffects, I am reminded of the words of scripture...
Isaiah 55:2,1 – “Why do you spend money…for what does not satisfy? …Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters…”
Friends, God has provided us with something better. PURE WATER IS THE PERFECT BEVERAGE. It quenches thirst, contains no calories to add unwanted fat, and no caffeine. It’s readily available, and it’s cheap! For the best of health, be good to yourself and start enjoying nature’s super fluid—water—today!
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