Drinking Soft Drinks May Be More Dangerous Than You Think
Everyone loves a cold beverage to refresh them during the day, especially when it is summertime and the weather is hot. When people need a little pick-me-up, they often grab a soft drink to quench their thirst and cool themselves off, and for some people, drinking soft drinks are a part of their daily routine.
It’s common knowledge that soft drinks are bad for you due to their excessive sugar content, and in the last few years, there’s been a steady decline in soft drink consumption as people learn more about just how unhealthy they are.
In this article, we’ll explore the detrimental effects that drinking soft drinks can have on your health, the differences between normal soft drinks and diet soft drinks, and a few healthier alternatives you can choose to satisfy that sweet tooth.
How Much Sugar Is Too Much?
Sugar is found in almost everything we eat and drink. It is found in fruit juices, smoothies, and some meals, and it helps energize us to carry on with our day. But how much sugar is too much? And why do soft drinks have such an excessive amount of it?
To understand just how bad soft drinks are for our health, let’s first take a look at how much sugar we are recommended to consume per day. The government recommends that free sugars - sugars that are added to foods and beverages - should not exceed 5 percent of the calories we get each day. This means that:
• Adults shouldn’t have more than 30 g of free sugars per day
• Children aged 7-10 years old shouldn’t have more than 24 g of free sugars per day
• Children aged 4-6 years old shouldn’t have more than 19 g of free sugars per day
In a single serving of a soft drink, which is typically 12 ounces, the amount of free sugars almost always exceeds the daily recommended amount. Let’s take a look at just how much that is.
Drinking the occasional soft drink might not pose significant problems to your health, as long as you’re maintaining a healthy and balanced life or diet and exercise. However, they are still bad for you and their effects can become serious if you consume excessive amounts over a period of time.
The Consequences of Drinking Soft Drinks
Although technically the ingredients in soft drinks are deemed safe by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these beverages may cause a myriad of side effects, especially if you consume them on a regular basis. Let’s go through the different possible side effects of soft drinks so you can make informed nutrition choices.
1. Tooth decay
Soft drinks can have two main effects on your teeth: erosion and cavities. That’s because soft drinks are often quite acidic and once they come in contact with the enamel on your teeth, which is the layer that helps protect your teeth, they can start to corrode it. This may be why you might experience your teeth feeling strange when you’re drinking soft drinks. In addition, once your teeth’s enamel is worn down, the risk of cavities increases further.
2. Increased risk of obesity
Drinking soft drinks has been linked to weight gain and a greater risk of developing obesity over time. In addition, research done in 2018 found that people who drink soft drinks on a regular basis have a significantly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who don’t.
3. Increased risk of heart disease
The excessive amounts of sugar in soft drinks can cause an imbalance in the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood, leading to a higher risk of heart disease. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology stated that the association of soft drinks and heart disease is seen in a variety of people regardless of their age, body weight, and even exercise habits.
These are just a few of the many side effects of drinking an excessive amount of soft drinks, so it's no surprise there’s been a downward trend in the consumption of these drinks.
Healthier Alternatives to Soft Drinks
While soft drink consumption has continued to decline, the temptation for sweet drinks remains. That’s why some companies have taken the time to create diet sodas.
Diet soda is almost the same as its regular soda but uses a different type of sweetener. In regular soda drinks, sugar or corn syrup is used, but in diet sodas, they are replaced by artificial sweeteners to give them fewer calories.
Let’s go through some other healthier alternatives.
• Freshly squeezed juices - Get your sweet fix with real fruits with natural sugars instead of free sugars. Mix and match different fruit juices and create your own mocktails for the summertime.
• Flavored soda water - Nowadays, there are plenty of flavored soda water options that give you that same satisfying carbonated feel of a soft drink. There are even sodas with zero calories and artificial sweeteners that can help you transition to healthier options.
• Kombucha - Aside from having less sugar than soft drinks, kombucha also helps with digestion due to the fact that it contains probiotics, while also boosting your energy and helping you lose weight.
• Fruit and herb infusions - Infused waters offer a refreshing and delicious alternative full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals depending on what fruits and herbs you choose.
• Mineral water - There is a long list of benefits mineral water has to offer, from lowering blood pressure and regulating blood circulation to strengthening bones and more. To read more, click here.
Say Goodbye to Soft Drinks With Singha
If you’re a fan of the delicious freshness of soft drinks, try Singha Lemon Yuzu Soda and Singha Lemon Soda. These drinks provide many benefits other than refreshing you, including:
• 30.7 milligrams of vitamin C per can, equivalent to one lemon.
• Enough Vitamin C to help strengthen the body’s immune system.
• A refreshing citrusy flavor. Quench your thirst every time you drink.
• Soda water helps aid in digestion.
At Singha Online, we provide numerous different types of drinking water, mineral waters, soda waters, zero-calorie drinks, and more to suit your unique needs and lifestyle. Check out our extensive range of drink options at Singha Online today.