Few people can disagree that soda sales have been increasing. According to the Financial Times, Pepsi's brands gained significant ground in 2021, while Coca-Cola reported excellent growth in the second quarter of this year. While these drinks are becoming increasingly popular, they can be harmful to your health.
If you enjoy this drink from time to time, you should watch how it affects your weight.
Cheryl Mussatto, MS, RD, LD, author of The Nourished Brain, explains, "Everyone has a particular proportion and distribution of fat within their body that is referred to as either subcutaneous fat or visceral fat." "Subcutaneous fat is the jiggly fat that can be seen just beneath the surface of the skin and is usually innocuous. Visceral fat is fat that surrounds important organs like the liver, pancreas, and intestines deep within the abdominal cavity."
An increasing waistline is a probable indicator of visceral fat buildup.
"If you're wondering why, you've gained belly fat, it could be due to consuming sodas too frequently," Mussatto adds, citing a 2016 study that indicated participants who drank at least one sugar-sweetened beverage per day had a 10% increase in visceral fat packing.
The American Heart Association backs these claims, claiming that specific forms of body fat are linked to diseases including heart disease and diabetes.
"Even though we can't see visceral fat, it's considered 'metabolically active,' and it's linked to a variety of conditions like increased insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, glucose intolerance, high triglycerides, and inflammation, all of which increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and type 2 diabetes," Mussatto explains. "Heart disease is the biggest cause of death in the United States, and around 34 million Americans (1 in 10) have type 2 diabetes, which can cause major health issues if not managed properly. Basically, a buildup of visceral fat has a significant impact on our general health."
This fat buildup is also linked to a slew of other health problems.
Dr. Eva Gamallo RMT, MD, medical consultant at Sensible Digs, explains, "The cumulative deleterious effect of consuming soda does not lead to a single entity." "Instead, it generates a constellation of symptoms that culminate in metabolic syndrome. Increased blood pressure, excessive blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels are all symptoms of hypertension."
"According to local statistics, six out of ten youth (63 percent) and five out of ten adults (49 percent) had a sugar-sweetened beverage on any given day," Gamallo says. "These figures are concerning because studies have connected even two servings of sugar-sweetened beverages each week to an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes. Individuals who consume up to five sugar-sweetened beverages per week are at risk for metabolic syndrome."