Warnings about the dangers of soft drink consumption came to us in 1942 when the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Council on Food and Nutrition made the following Commendable statement:
“From the health point of view it’s desirable particularly to have restriction of such use of sugar as is represented by consumption of sweetened carbonated beverages and forms of candy which are of low nutritional value. The Council believes it would be in the interest of the public health for most practical means to be taken to limit consumption of sugar in any form in which it fails to be combined with substantial proportions of other foods of high nutritive quality.”
Colossal increases in beverage consumption have not occurred by chance, they’re due to intense marketing efforts by soft drink corporations. To soft drink marketing the adult market is stagnant so kids are the target. Soft drink companies spend billions on advertising for Animal Removal Fort Lauderdale. A lot of these marketing efforts are aimed at children through playgrounds, toys, cartoons, videos, movies, charities and amusement parks; and through contests, sweepstakes, games and clubs via television, radio, magazines and the internet. Their efforts have paid off.
In 1998 the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) cautioned the public that soft drink companies were beginning to infiltrate our schools and kid clubs. While our kids are vulnerable to unrelieved publicity for soft drinks, evidence of their dangers accumulates. The consumption of soft drinks is riddled with risks. We as professionals and advocates of a wholesome life-style recognize that consuming even as few as one or two sodas per day is undeniably connected to a plethora of pathologies.
The most frequently associated health risks are obesity, diabetes and other blood sugar disorders, tooth decay, osteoporosis and bone fractures, nutritional deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, food addictions and eating disorders, neurotransmitter dysfunction from chemical sweeteners, and adrenal and adrenal disorders from excessive ingestion.
One common problem I’ve seen through the years, especially in teenagers, is overall gastrointestinal (GI) distress. Including increased stomach acid levels requiring acid inhibitors and moderate to severe gastric inflammation with potential stomach lining erosion. The frequent complaint I hear is chronic”stomach ache.” In virtually every case, when the client successfully abstains from caffeine and sodas, the symptoms will go away. Another problem with sodas is that they behave as dehydrating diuretics, much like tea, coffee and alcohol. All these beverages can inhibit proper digestive function. It’s much healthier to eat herbal teas, supplements and broths, naturally beverages and water to supply our daily fluid requirements. These fluids support, not inhibit, digestion.
Ingredients
• Aspartame, used in diet sodas, is a potent neurotoxin and endocrine disrupter.
• Caffeine stimulates the adrenal gland without providing nourishment. In large quantities, caffeine may lead to adrenal exhaustion, particularly in kids.
• Phosphoric acid, added to give soft drinks”snack,” is related to calcium loss.
• Artificial Flavors can also contain traces of MSG.
• Water can contain high amounts of fluoride and other contaminants.
Soft Drinks and Violence
According to an article published in The Lancet, December 2000, the Irish government ordered”urgent research” to the effects of so-called”usable energy” or stimulant soft drinks after the death of an 18-year-old who died while playing basketball. He had swallowed three cans of”Red Bull,” a stimulant soft drink. The article noted there have been reports of a rise in aggressive late-night violence occurring when people switch to those drinks while drowsy from too much alcohol. The resulting violence was so pervasive that some establishments in Ireland have refused to market stimulant beverages.
Students are currently being given”electrolyte” drinks called”ergogenic aids” to replace electrolytes which are allegedly depleted during workouts. There are three problems with using these beverages as a rehydration solution. To begin with, most soft drinks are diuretics, which means they squeeze out fluids out of the body, thus exacerbating dehydration instead of correcting it. Secondly, most people really lose few electrolytes during exercise. After exercise the body is usually within an electrolyte load having lost more fluids than electrolytes.
Fruit Juices
Consumers frequently drink commercial fruit juices in the belief that they’re healthier than soft drinks. Fruit juices are very high in sugar and have actually been more detrimental to the teeth of test animals than sodas!
If you want to drink fruit juice, purchase a juicer and make your own with organic fruit. It’s best to dilute a small amount of fruit juice with water. In restaurants, order mineral water and some bits of fresh lemon or lime.