Acids and caffeine hinder the absorption of iron and calcium in the bones, which is why they favor the appearance of anemia and osteoporosis.
How tasty is a soft drink on hot days! Soft drinks have something that catches you, makes you drink over and over and over and over every day, and you will surely wonder what can be wrong if they are supposed to be energy drinks and also reduce appetite by filling our stomachs?
Well, you should know that the latest scientific studies indicate that soft drinks can be harmful to our lives. Keep reading and you will find out how they can affect our health.
What are soft drinks?
The mixture of filtered water, carbon dioxide, sweeteners (substances that provide sweet flavor) and acidulants (substances that modify or control acidity) give rise to the soft drinks we all drink.
However, its beginnings and development were in the pharmaceutical industry since they were used as tonics to relieve headaches and indigestion.
Many years have passed since that beginning and there are many varieties of soft drinks that exist. Now, unfortunately, every day more harmful effects of sugary soft drinks are discovered for humans, especially for children. These are some of the symptoms that occur if you consume too many soft drinks:
Symptoms of excessive consumption of soft drinks
- Headache.
- Tremors
- Cardiac arrhythmia.
- Anxiety.
- Sleep problems or insomnia.
- Depression.
- Nausea and vomiting
- Frequent urination.
- Decreased bone mass density (due to low calcium absorption).
- Reduced appetite
How do soft drinks affect our health?
There is more and more research pointing out the negative effects of numerous products that we have become accustomed to consuming, this is the case of soft drinks.
Nervous system disorders
Many of these drinks contain a high concentration of caffeine. Caffeine is an alkaloid that has stimulating effects on the autonomic nervous system and the heart, which is why it stimulates the waking state and resistance to tiredness, in addition to being a powerful vasodilator, but its benefits go so far.
Excessive caffeine consumption causes dependency, headache, cardiac arrhythmia, insomnia and anxiety. The same symptoms you will experience drinking too much coffee or tea daily.
Carcinogenic effect
Numerous preservatives, acidulants and chemical additives are added to carbonated drinks to preserve them for a longer time and to make them more addictive and attractive. These substances tend to accumulate in the tissues causing the appearance of cancer cells and the development of tumors in the long term, in addition to problems in the kidney system.
Increase reflux during digestion
Contrary to what was previously thought, soft drinks can have a negative effect on the digestive process. The carbon dioxide present in these drinks increases the acidification of gastric juices and accelerates digestion but at the same time causes gastroesophageal reflux, heartburn and absorption problems, which can be especially painful in people with gastritis and stomach ulcers.
They can cause cavities
It has also been indicated that the CO2 and sugar they contain affect our mouths and teeth since they alter the perceptions of taste, corrode the dental enamel and can cause the appearance of caries.
It causes overweight
An excess in the consumption of these drinks causes increases in blood sugar levels, inflammation of the pancreas and diabetes. On the other hand, carbohydrates that are not converted into energy are accumulated in the form of fats in tissues and arteries, causing overweight and arteriosclerosis.
Loss of bone mass
As if that were not enough, the acids and caffeine present in these drinks are harmful to our skeleton, therefore they interfere with the absorption of calcium in the bones, causing loss of bone mass, weakening them and favoring the appearance of osteoporosis. On the other hand, the combination of sugar and acid hinders the absorption of iron.
Beware of “light” soft drinks
Drinking light beverages is not enough to avoid weight problems and diabetes. It should be noted that the sweetener substitutes for sugar also can be ingested in large quantities because they are substances that interfere with various metabolic reactions and can cause brain damage, memory loss and even promote the development of diseases like Alzheimer’s.
And to finish
Despite how delicious carbonated drinks can be, we recommend that you choose to drink water, juices or smoothies, as this will protect your health. This advice is especially aimed at:
- Pregnant.
- People who suffer from nervous problems.
- Breast affections.
- Gastric ulcers
- Cardiovascular problems.
- Arterial hypertension.
- Migraine.
Cautions
We must bear in mind that soft drinks have a lot of sugar, especially “light”, they should be consumed in moderation as they can cause problems such as being overweight.