10 Reasons to keep fizzy drinks away from your kids
- Danielle Klaff
- Apr 24, 2019
- 3 min read
Updated: May 28, 2019
Fizzy drinks or Sodas are one of the main reasons, nutritionally speaking, why many people suffer health problems.
Aside from the negative effects of the soda itself, drinking a lot of soda is likely to leave you with little appetite for vegetables, protein and other food that your body needs.
Let’s take a look at some of the major components of a can of fizzy drinks:
1. Sodas contain zero nutrients, and are high in calories and sugar. Studies show a strong link between soda consumption and childhood obesity. It is a proven fact that sugar increases insulin levels, which can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, premature aging and many more negative side effects. Most fizzy drinks include over 100 percent of the RDA of sugar.
2. Sodas are not providing much needed nutrition to children’s bodies. It does, however, provide empty calories and can suppress the appetite. Consuming soda may cause children to eat less of the foods they need to fuel their bodies. Those who drink soda regularly are also more likely to get less than the recommended amount of vitamin A, calcium, and magnesium, an important mineral to overall health.
3. Phosphorus or Phosphoric acid, a common ingredient in soda, can interfere with the body's ability to use calcium, which can lead to osteoporosis or softening of the teeth and bones. Phosphoric acid also neutralizes the hydrochloric acid in your stomach, which can interfere with digestion, making it difficult to utilize nutrients.
4. Studies show a direct link between tooth decay and soda. Not only does the sugar cause cavities, the acids in soda etch off tooth enamel. Acid can begin to dissolve tooth enamel in only 20 minutes. Dentists are reporting complete loss of the enamel on the front teeth in teenage boys and girls who habitually drink sodas.
5. Caffeine is known to create physical dependence and upsets the normal balance of neurochemistry in the developing brains of children. Caffeine stimulates the adrenal gland without providing the nourishment it needs. In large amounts, caffeine can lead to adrenal exhaustion, especially in children. Colas contain 35 to 38 milligrams of caffeine per can. Diet colas often contain a lot more. A can of Pepsi has about 56 milligrams of caffeine.
Caffeinated drinks also cause jitters, insomnia, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, elevated blood cholesterol levels, vitamin and mineral depletion, breast lumps, birth defects, and perhaps some forms of cancer.
6. Aspartame, the chemical is used as a sugar substitute in diet soda, is a potent brain toxin and endocrine disrupter. There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption including brain tumours, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders and epilepsy/seizures. Further, when aspartame is stored for long periods of time or kept in warm areas it changes to methanol, an alcohol that converts to formaldehyde and formic acid, which are known carcinogens.
7. A child’s brain is developing throughout adolescence. When a kid drinks soda, they are consuming chemicals that are altering their brain. MSG can be hiding in the citric acid of soda, as well as in the artificial flavours. This excitotoxin has been shown to damage the neurons in the brain of mice. In addition, high levels of excitotoxins have been linked to brain tumours, diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, brain damage, learning disorders and behavioural problems.
8. Drinking sodas regularly can upset the fragile, acid-alkaline balance of the stomach, creating a continuous acid environment. Sugar and caffeine can increase the level of acids in the stomach leading to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Carbonation is also a common IBS trigger, as it results in more gas.
Sodas or fizzy drinks act as dehydrating diuretics, much like tea, coffee and alcohol, and can inhibit proper digestive function.
9. The possible reasons for behaviour issues from children who drink soda are many. It could be from the caffeine, sugar, artificial colours, or blood sugar spikes and drops. According to a survey of more than 3000 mothers, children who drank soda were more aggressive, withdrawn, and had trouble paying attention.
10. Tap Water can carry any number of chemicals including chlorine, trihalomethanes, lead, cadmium, and various organic pollutants. Tap water is the main ingredient in bottled soft drinks.
This is an alarming amount of sugar, calories and harmful additives in a product that has absolutely no nutritional value. Plus, studies have linked soda to osteoporosis, obesity, tooth decay and heart disease. Despite this, soda accounts for more than one-quarter of all drinks consumed in South Africa.
If you are still drinking soda, stopping the habit is an easy way to improve your health. Pure water is a much better choice. If you must drink a carbonated beverage, try sparkling mineral water.
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