A soda a day may not keep your doctor away.Did you give up soda for Lent? Well, Lent ends in about a week. Will you resume your soda habit? Perhaps you better think about avoiding daily use of soda forever.
A recent study Drinking as little as one can of soda daily can increase your risk of heart disease by up to 20%. Soda is also linked to weight gain and increased risk for type 2 diabetes. One 8 ounce can of soda has at least 8-10 teaspoons of sugar and about 140 calories worth of that sugary sweet corn syrup. In fact, one soda supplies your body with its daily sugar requirement.
Within 20 minutes of cola consumption, your blood sugar peaks, resulting in a “shock” to the pancreas. The pancreas releases large amounts of insulin in order to pull the escalating sugar into the body. Over time, repeated excess supplies of sugar may result in fatty liver, and insulin resistance. Similar to a drug addict requiring higher amounts of drugs to attain results, the body will require higher levels of sugar to trigger insulin to pull high glucose molecules into the body’s organs. After repeated abuse of glucose, diabetes results and the kidneys become stressed and other organs will begin to fail.
Yes, abuse of sodas can be avoided; but I would be careful about crossing over from one bad habit to another. Be careful to avoid the sugary sweets of the Easter holiday. The sugar content in a cola may be close to the sugar content of an Easter “Peep” (those cute yellow sugary ducks). We won’t even discuss the contents of the Cadburys Eggs which may be too scary to mention .
I would also recommend limited use of diet sodas. The body is being “told” that sweet stuff is coming. But it is a “lie” and cravings for calories can be increased. The result is weight gain. A recent study linking diet sodas to stroke was found to have little merit among scholars, but more studies should be conducted to better understand any links between diet sodas and poor health.
“Natural “drinks such as juices can also punish the body. Sugar is sugar, no matter what form it is in. Instead of fruit juices, eat the fruit and benefit from the fiber bulk and pulp and skin that may not be in the squeezed juice. Additionally, a whole fruit tends to be more filling. Babies should not be drinking juices until age 1 and ONLY then in limited quantities (4-6 ounces daily). We counsel our moms that regular use of fruit juices in infants and young children promotes diabetes and obesity.
I just finished treating a patient for the flu (remember: I told you the flu is HERE), and noticed her 10 pound weight loss. She had successfully lost 10 pounds in 3 months by giving up sodas. Subsequently, her risk for heart disease and diabetes has dropped substantially.
So, embrace your decision to HOLD the daily soda. Occasional splurges are fine if done in limited quantities. Avoid high sugar during Easter and consider alternative holiday treats. Celebrate with a dark chocolate Easter Bunny.