Signs You’re Drinking Too Much Soda

2 years ago

1. Obesity

Image source / Daily MailIt will come as no surprise to you that drinking soda has been linked to obesity. A single can of soda contains around 140 calories and if you are having the fizzy drink with every meal, you could end up gaining more than three pounds in a month. Of course, along with the soda, you are likely to be consuming junk food, so another reason for obesity.

2. Insomnia

Image source / RedditIf you're having difficulty sleeping, it could be time to re-evaluate your soda consumption. Sixteen ounces of a popular diet soda contains a massive 45 milligrams of caffeine which can take your body abound 12 hours to metabolize. If you're drinking soda along with your dinner, you might find yourself tossing and turning when it's time for bed.

3. Blurred Vision

Image source / redditYour poor vision may be the result of your soda habit. Drinking soda can cause your blood sugar to spike rapidly which may cause the lenses of your eyes to swell, impacting your vision. High blood sugar can also increase your risk for diabetes, a condition often associated with changes in eyesight, blurred vision and macular degeneration.

4. Hair Loss

Image source / RedditThe shiny spot on your head that has gradually appeared might be the result of your soda consumption. This is a major contributing factor in the increase in diabetes diagnoses, which could cause hormonal variations, increase your risk of hair loss. Additionally, research suggests that diabetes is often a pre-disposing factor for alopecia and thyroid disease, both of which can contribute to thinning hair.

5. Brain Tumor

Image source / John Hopkins MedicineStudies have shown the chemicals in sodas have been linked to neurological disturbances including seizures. Scarier still, the FDA reports that the aspartame found in some diet sodas can be converted to formaldehyde in the body. Sufficient levels of these can be carcinogenic and may contribute to your risk of developing a brain tumor.

6. Tooth Decay

Image source / WikipediaA single 12 ounce can of soda contains almost ten packets of sugar, coating your teeth and gums each time you crack open a can. Multiple studies have shown just how human teeth, which have had to be removed by a dentist, can dissolve when left in soda over a period of time.

7. Diabetes

Image source / RedditBoth regular and diet soda have been linked to an increase in type 2 diabetes. The sugar spike that you get from soda forces the body to transform that sugar into fat in your liver. Over 6 months, the fat deposits in your liver could increase by as much as 150%, increasing your risk factor for diabetes along the way.

8. Aging

Image source /RedditIf you're hoping to maintain a youthful appearance, ditch soda right now! Soda contains phosphates and sugars which have been shown to accelerate the aging process at the cellular level. Dehydrating caffeine in soda contain harmful chemical components which also have an aging effect on your skin, causing it to dry out and putting you at risk of wrinkles and fine lines.

9. Memory Loss

Image source / RedditResearchers at the University of California, Davis Medical Center, have put a link between excessive consumption of sodas containing BVO with an increased risk of bromism, a condition that wreaks havoc on the central nervous system. This can contribute to memory loss, muscle weakness, fatigue and mental health issues.

10. Infertility

Image source / RedditSoda's shelf-stability may come at a serious cost to your fertility. Certain citrus sodas contain brominated vegetable oil, also known as BVO. This additive maintains soda's flavor and appearance and has already been banned in Japan and Europe because it has been linked to infertility and early onset puberty.

11. Excess Belly Fat

Image source / RedditBlame your soda habit if you are sporting a spare tire. The refined sugar in soda is quickly absorbed, causing your blood sugar to spike. This surge in blood sugar triggers the production of insulin which can turn that sugar into fat, particularly around your waist. Eliminating soda from your diet can save you thousands of calories and hundreds of thousands of grams of sugar every year to help fight that belly fat. fighting.

12. Migraines

Image source / RedditSodas are loaded with sweeteners of artificial and natural varieties, both of which are known to trigger migraine headaches. When coupled with the dehydrating nature of many caffeinated sodas, a pounding headache could easily result. If this turns into a migraine, over the counter painkillers may not even scratch the surface.

13. Dehydration

Image source / RedditIf you think you're hydrating by drinking soda, then think again! The caffeine in many sodas has a diuretic effect, causing dehydration if you do not adequately supplement with extra water. Over time, this may lead to a slower metabolic rate, electrolyte imbalances, water retention and possibly heart arrhythmia.

14. Receding Gums

Image source /Lane Ends Dental PracticeIf you feel like your gum line is receding, your soda habit might be to blame. The sugars, preservatives and artificial colorings which are found in your average soda, can get trapped beneath your gums. If not cleaned thoroughly, bacteria feeds on the trapped particles, causing destruction of gum tissue

15. Poor Gut Health

Image source / Men's HealthThe gut bacteria living in your intestines can affect everything from your metal stability to your digestive health. All the sugar in soda gives the bad bacteria in your belly plenty to feed on, without providing much nutrition for the good bacteria, the one that that keeps you healthy.

16. Joint Pains

Image source / RedditThose aches and pains that just won't go away might be getting worse every time you put a sugary soda in your shopping cart. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that women who consumed sugar sweetened sodas on a regular basis, have an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

17. Depression

Image source / RedditYou won't find happiness at the bottom of that soda can. Sodas are high in fructose which can react negatively with the amino acids that accompany our happiness chemical, serotonin. Fructose can damage those amino acids which then become unavailable, thereby reducing the amount of serotonin in your brain. Over time, this can contribute to a risk of depression.

18. Kidney Health Issues

Image source / RedditOften called the most excruciating pain next to childbirth. kidney stones are the result of an accumulation of minerals in the kidneys over time, which eventually pass through the urethra. Those with regular soda habits are at an increased risk for this unpleasant condition, both with excessive sugar consumption and dehydration.

19. Behavioral Problems

Image source / Good HousekeepingYou might not be the only one in your family affected by your soda consumption. The plastic bottles that soda comes in often contain BPA, a chemical used to harden plastics, which has been shown to contaminate substances it comes into contact with. The result can be behavioral problems in your offspring.

20. Heart Failure

Image source / RedditKeep your heart healthy by cutting right down or giving up your soda habit today. The British Medical Journal suggests that drinking sweetened sodas could contribute to heart failure and your risk for heart failure is closely linked with diabetes, obesity and uncontrolled blood pressure.

21. Stroke

Image source / PoliticoYour risk for having a stroke increases every time you sop a soda. Soda is directly responsible for increased fat stores in the body, some of which may cause hardening of the arteries. This includes the ones close to your brain, increasing your chances of a stroke.

22. Unhealthy Eating Habits

Image source / Daily PioneerDrinking soda can be directly linked to unhealthy dietary habits. Researchers at the University of Bordeaux believe that sugar could be as addictive as illicit drugs, triggering the same reward centers in the brain as opiates and amphetamines. Unfortunately, this means that a single soda can have a snowball effect — one drink makes you crave another and so on.

23. High Cholesterol

Image source /RedditCommit yourself to lower cholesterol and a longer life by ditching those sodas from your diet right now. A single can of soda has more sugar than your body requires in an entire day. Research published in the 'Journal of the American Medical Association' suggests a diet high in sugar is linked to high cholesterol.

24. Colorectal Cancer

Image source / Cedars-SinaiAll those cool colors in your soda could be contributing to your cancer risk. The caramel coloring used in colas and other non-clear sodas, like root beer, is made from ammonia and has been shown to cause cancer in mice. Even clear sodas can cause colorectal cancer because of the exceptionally high sugar content.

25. Allergies

Image source / RedditAre you sneezing your way through allergy season? It might be your soda habit as highly allergenic sodium benzoate has been removed in many sodas. It is then replaced by a lesser evil called potassium benzoate. Unfortunately, this is still not good for allergy sufferers as both have been linked to hives and asthma.

26. Heartburn

Image source / RedditThat burning in your chest might well be your soda habit coming back to haunt you! Carbonated soft drinks often cause your stomach to bloat, which could cause the acid in your stomach to come back up into your throat. Coupled with the acid-promoting caffeine that is found in many sodas, you are increasing your risk of heartburn, upper digestive tract ulcers and possibly certain types of cancer every time you crack open a can.

27. Biliary Cirrhosis

Image source / RedditKeeping your liver healthy starts with keeping off soda. Artificial sweeteners, such as those found in many diet sodas, have been linked to inflammation of the bile ducts which can lead to biliary cirrhosis. Over time, the condition can cause scarring on the liver and reduce its function, putting you at risk of jaundice, swelling, pain and early death.

28. Bladder Cancer

Image source / RedditIf you want to reduce your cancer risk, decrease your soda consumption as part of the process. Certain artificial sweeteners found in soda, like saccharin and sodium cyclamate, have been linked to cancer in lab rats. Soda could also increase your risk of obesity, a contributing factor in a number of cancers that affect anywhere from your bladder to your brain.

29. Digestive Ulcers

Image source / RedditIf you are struggling with digestive ulcers, your soda habit may be part of the cause for the discomfort. Both caffeine and carbonation can contribute to the irritation of your stomach lining, putting you at greater risk of ulcers and making those you already have even worse.

30. Osteoporosis

Image source / RedditHealthy bones and soda are not a match. Research studies have reported that drinking cola could be contributing towards reduction in bone density, making you more susceptible to fractures and mobility loss as you get older. Start today and swap soda for water!