You already knew the sugary beverage wasn't good for you, but you might be surprised at how bad it is for your health.
Drinking soda is just part of many people's daily routine, whether they grab a fizzy beverage when they need a pick-me-up during a hard day at work or indulge in the occasional soft drink as dessert when they're yearning for something sweet. In fact, according to 2017 research from the US Department of Health and Human Services, between 2011 and 2014, 49.3 percent of American adults consumed at least one sugar-sweetened beverage, such as soda, on any given day.
While you may be aware that soda isn't exactly a healthy beverage, researchers claim that this particular sugar-sweetened beverage may have even more negative impacts on your health than you think. Continue reading to see why you should stop drinking sugary drinks right now.
Soda consumption has been linked to the onset of diabetes.
It's not simply genetics or being overweight that raises your chances of developing diabetes.
"According to a study published in Current Developments in Nutrition in 2018, those who consume soda regularly have a substantially higher risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes than people who don't drink soda," explains Courtney D'Angelo, MS, RD, a registered dietitian, and author at Fit Healthy Momma.
Soda consumption may raise your risk of heart disease.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and worldwide, and consuming soda may raise your chances of acquiring this sometimes fatal condition.
According to Felicia Newell, RD, MScAHN, a medical adviser for Medical Solutions BCN, "a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology indicated that both regular and diet soda consumers have a higher risk of heart disease than those who do not drink sweetened beverages." Newell continues, "This relationship is evident regardless of age, body weight, or exercise habits."
Soda consumption may raise your chances of a fracture.
Increasing your calcium intake may not be enough to keep your bones healthy; experts advise cutting down daily drinks as well.
"The phosphoric acid in soda may lead to bone loss," adds Newell. "However, soda drinkers may also consume less calcium and vitamin D." "Soda drinking has been related to low bone mineral density as well as an increased risk of fractures in both children and adults, according to research."
Drinking Soda may lead to an increase in visceral fat in the body.
Soda use not only increases the amount of visible fat in your body but can also raise the amount of hazardous visceral fat.
According to Rachel Dyckman, MS, RDN, CDN, owner and registered dietitian nutritionist at Rachel Dyckman Nutrition LLC, "those who consume more soda are more likely to have excess visceral fat, a dangerous type of fat that surrounds organs and can contribute to metabolic irregularities and inflammation."
Drinking soda puts you in danger of gaining much weight.
Soda is made up mostly of water, sugar, and artificial flavors and colors. It's no surprise that the fizzy drink has been connected to significant weight gain because of its high-calorie content and lack of satisfying nutrients.
"Soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages are bad for your health and a major cause of weight gain since your body recognizes sugar and prepares to digest it and speed up your metabolism accordingly. When you drink your sugar, however, your body isn't as prepared and doesn't recognize those calories, so you continue to eat what you need/want to feel fulfilled, but now you also have all those calories and sugar from the soda, which are stored as fat." Founder of Zo Schroeder Nutrition, Zo Schroeder, MS, RDN, CSCS.
Soda consumption may raise your cancer risk over time.
Cutting away sugar-sweetened sodas is an intelligent place to start if you have a family history of cancer or want to reduce your risk of developing this often debilitating disease.
Researchers from the Sorbonne Paris Cité Epidemiology and Statistics Research Center, Avicenne Hospital Public Health Department, and the French Public Health Agency Nutritional Epidemiology Surveillance Team found that sugar-sweetened drink consumption was significantly associated with overall cancer risk and the risk of developing breast cancer in a group of 101,257 adult study subjects, according to a 2019 study published in The BMJ.