Sugar Pop

16 reasons to stop drinking soda it harms your body

No nutritional value. The average American drinks 57 gallons of soda a year (that's 54 lbs of sugar.)
Weight gain and obesity. Drinking one 12 ounce can a day translates to more than 1 lb of weight gain every month. For each additional soda consumed, the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times.
Diabetes. Soda not only contributes to diabetes but it also stresses the body's ability to process sugar. High Fructose Corn Syrup puts more strain on insulin producing cells than other foods. When sugar enters the blood stream quickly, the pancreas has to secrete large amounts of insulin for the body to process it, ultimately leaving it unable to keep up with the body's need for insulin, which all contributes to diabetes. Women who drank one or more sugary drinks a day gained more weight and were 83% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
Weakened bones and risk of osteoporosis. Impairs calcification of growing bones in children. The acidity in colas may be weakening bones by promoting the loss of calcium. In 1950, kids consumed 3 cups of milk for every cup of sugary drinks. Today it's 3 to 1 the other way around.
Dental cares and erosion. Soda eats up and dissolves tooth enamel and doubles or triples the incidence of tooth decay. Soda's acidity makes it even worse for teeth than the solid sugar found in candy.
Kidney damage. Cola beverages increase the risk of kidney problems more so than non-cola sodas and enhances kidney stone formation. Your body must buffer the acidity of soft drinks with calcium from your own bones. As this calcium is eliminated through your urine, it slowly forms kidney stones.
Increased blood pressure. Over consumption of fructose, particular from soft drinks, leads to an increase in blood pressure.
Likely to cause heartburn. A strong predictor of heartburn.
Metabolic syndrome risk factor. A significant risk factor for developing of metabolic syndrome.
Harmful effects on the liver. Increased risk for liver cirrhosis similar to what chronic alcoholics have.
Impaired digestive system. Soda is the most acidic drink you can buy with a pH of about 2.5, about the same as vinegar, but the sugar content disguises the acidity. Consider battery acid has a pH of 1 and pure water has a pH level of 7. The mouth, pharynx and esophagus are highly sensitive to acids. A pH below 4 will kill most fish and very few animals can tolerate waters with a pH below 3. Remember, most sodas are in the 2.5 range.
Dehydration. Sodas act as dehydrating diuretics from both caffeine and sugar. You will actually become thirstier.
High caffeine content. High doses of caffeine can cause irritability, restlessness, tension, insomnia, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disturbance, excessive urination, irregular heartbeat and other side effects. These side-effects aren't required to be listed on the label.
Toxins - Aspartame. Diet soda often includes the poison Aspartame made from aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol making it 200 times sweeter than table sugar. It's dangerous. After consumption, it starts to return to its starting components. Methanol converts further to formaldehyde and formic acid which are known carcinogens. There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption.
Possible cell damage ability. A common preservative E211 (sodium benzoate found in Fanta and Pepsi Max) has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA. It's used to prevent mold in soft drinks.
Healthy alternatives. Replacing healthier drinks like fresh juices, milk and even water deprives your body of essential vitamins and minerals. Reverse the damage that has been done by returning to healthier drinks!