Do Carbonated Drinks Affect Your Health?
You should know that the most recent scientific studies have shown that carbonated drinks can be dangerous for your life. Do you want to know more about this topic? Keep reading to find out how carbonated drinks can affect you.
What are carbonated drinks
Making carbonated drinks is very simple: with a mixture of filtered water, carbon dioxide, sweeteners and acidulants (substances that determine the acidity) a refreshing soft drink is created that you can drink everywhere.
In the beginning, however, they were developed by the pharmaceutical industry to serve as tonics for headaches and digestive problems.
Since that beginning, many years have passed and many types of carbonated drinks have been developed. They come in different colours, smells and tastes, but they all contain sting and no alcohol. But how healthy are they now?
Are the old ideas still valid? Unfortunately that is not the case. Every day new dangerous effects for human health are discovered, especially for children.
If you are still in doubt, we will show you some symptoms that can occur if you drink too many carbonated drinks.
Symptoms of excessive consumption of carbonated drinks
- Headache
- Vibrations
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Nervousness
- Sleep problems or insomnia
- Depression
- Nausea and vomiting
- Frequent urination
- Decreased bone mass (due to low calcium absorption)
- Loss of appetite
How do carbonated drinks affect your health?
In more and more studies, negative effects are found in the products we often eat and drink. This is also the case with carbonated drinks.
Influence on the nervous system
Many of these drinks are high in caffeine. Caffeine is an alkaloid that has a stimulating effect on your nervous system and heart, helping you stay awake and less tired. It also has a strong vasodilator effect, but that’s where the benefits stop.
Excessive use of caffeine causes addiction, headaches, cardiac arrhythmias, insomnia and nervousness. You also experience these symptoms if you drink too much coffee or tea every day.
carcinogenic effect
Carbonated drinks have an attractive taste and color. They also last a long time thanks to the many conservatives, acidity regulators and chemical additives, which can be harmful to your kidney system.
These substances often collect in your tissues, causing cancer cells and tumors in the long term. Don’t be fooled by the fact that some of those substances are antioxidants: your body needs natural antioxidants, which can be found in fruits and vegetables.
More reflux during digestion
It is now believed, unlike in the past, that carbonated drinks can have a negative effect on the digestive process. The carbon dioxide in these drinks increases the acidity of the gastric juice and increases its production.
This speeds up digestion, but also causes reflux, stomach acid problems, and absorption problems, which can be especially painful for those suffering from gastritis and stomach ulcers.
holes
Carbon dioxide, along with the sugar in soda, damages the mouth and teeth. They affect the taste buds, affect tooth enamel and cause cavities.
obesity
In general, carbonated drinks are high in sweeteners, whether high or low in calories (one can can contain 3 or 4 tablespoons of sugar). The low-calorie ones are sorbitol, aspartame, and saccharin, while sweeteners like sucrose and glucose are high in calories.
Excessive use of these sugars leads to elevated blood sugar levels, inflammation of the pancreas and diabetes.
On the other hand, the carbohydrates that are not directly burned into energy are accumulated in tissues and blood vessels as fat, causing obesity and atherosclerosis.
Loss of bone mass
As if it weren’t harmful enough, the acids and caffeine in these drinks are also harmful to your bones. They block the absorption of calcium in your bones, which reduces your bone mass. This weakens the bones and causes osteoporosis.
On the other hand, the combination of sugar and acid makes it difficult for iron to be absorbed into cells, leading to anemia and increased susceptibility to various types of infections.
Be careful with sugar-free soft drinks
Drinking sugar-free soda is not enough to prevent weight problems and diabetes, but be careful with sugar-substitute sweeteners.
These substances can cause problems with various metabolic processes and can be a source of brain damage, memory loss and even the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Finally…
As delicious as soda may be, we recommend that (to protect your health) you drink water, juice, smoothies and natural juices instead.
This tip is especially intended for pregnant women and people with nerve problems, breast disorders, stomach ulcers, cardiovascular problems, hypertension and migraines. These groups are most at risk.
Remember: health and happiness go hand in hand!
