SAY NO TO SODA, YES TO HEALTHY DRINKS

Learn five reasons why soda is bad for you and five healthy drinks that are better for quenching your thirst.

Sodas are sweet, sparkling and tasty — but don’t confuse them with a healthy drink. Doctors have discovered a ton of health risks connected with drinking soda pop. Worse, you’re robbing yourself of a healthy drink alternative brimming with needed vitamins and minerals every time you chug down a soft drink.

Why Say No to Soda?

* Soda is truly worthless to your body.
It has absolutely no nutritional value. Soda is filled with sugar
and calories and nothing else.” Even diet sodas — low to no calories
and sugar — don’t have any redeeming virtues, nutritionally.


* Sugary sodas contribute to obesity and diabetes.
Soda is loaded with high-fructose corn syrup, a sweetener
that has been linked to obesity. Soda consumption also has been
linked to the development of type 2 diabetes, both due to its sugar
content and its effects on the body’s hormones. And diet soda?
It may not be any better. At least one study has linked artificial
sweeteners, such as those used in diet sodas, to increased appetite,
greater difficulty losing weight, and a harder time maintaining weight loss.

* Soda damages your teeth. The sugar in soda coats your teeth,
combining with bacteria in your mouth to form acid. Both regular
and diet soda also contain carbolic acid through carbonation.
These acids work to weaken tooth enamel, causing cavities and tooth decay.


* Soda can harm your major organs. Research has demonstrated
that increased soft drink consumption may be linked to chronic kidney
disease, development of metabolic syndrome (a group of symptoms that
add up to increased heart risk), and fatty liver, a chronic liver disease.

Healthy Drink Alternatives

 

Luckily, there are limitless options when choosing a healthy drink over a soda pop. Some soda alternatives include:

* Water. It is the ultimate healthy drink. It has no calories and it comes straight from your tap.


* Fruit juice. Gans urges you not to drink straight fruit juice, which contains a lot of sugar. ”Drink some seltzer with a splash of juice for a little flavoring,” she says. “ Rather than drinking juice, eat a piece of whole fruit. You’re also getting the fiber in the fruit.”


* Milk. This is another essential healthy drink. “An 8-ounce glass of nonfat milk has 80 calories and nine essential nutrients.


* Tea. Whatever teas you prefer — green, black, herbal — they all have been shown to contain high levels of antioxidants, which are believed to protect the body from damage.


* Powdered drink mixes. They contain no tooth-rotting carbonation, and come in sugar-free varieties. They give your sweet tooth a fix without harming your overall nutrition.


By: Itziar Arriola H.