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.
"If you're choosing a soda, chances are you aren't
choosing a healthy beverage," says Keri M. Gans, a nutrition consultant in
New York City and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. There
are a number of healthy drink choices you can make instead.
Why Say No to Soda?
Soda is truly worthless to your body. "In
my opinion, there's really one major reason to not drink soda," Gans says.
"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. Healthy drinks, on the other
hand, have vitamins and minerals the body can use. Even plain water can
rehydrate your body without adding extra calories to your diet.
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.
Drinking soda can weaken your bones. Most sodas
contain phosphorous and caffeine, agents that are believed to contribute to
osteoporosis. Experts also worry that people consume soda in place of milk or
other healthy drinks, depriving the bones of calcium.
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's free in every sense of the word," Gans says. "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,
particularly for kids. "An 8-ounce glass of nonfat milk has 80 calories
and nine essential nutrients," Gans says. "You get a lot of bang for
your buck."
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.
And remember that you can always cut up some fresh fruit and
pop a little into a tall glass of water for an extra flavor kick. Choosing
healthy drinks over soda: Give it a try. Your body will thank you.
By Dennis Thompson Jr. | Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH
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