Soda – Is It the Real Thing?
Ever wonder what the main culprit in the obesity epidemic might be? Well look no further than that can of soda that you drink. Studies show that it is the source of the most calories consumed in the world accounting from between 11% and 19%. We all know that it is readily available and it is inexpensive to buy. Most of us probably don’t realize that it is also very addictive. The following are some reasons why you might consider giving up that can of soda and having a glass of water instead.
A report in the Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention noted that consuming as little as two or more soft drinks a week may increase your risk of developing pancreatic cancer twice as much as those people who did not drink soda at all. The study followed more than 60,000 men in women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for fourteen years. In that amount of time there were 140 pancreatic cancer cases.
Do you think that drinking the diet soda is healthier? Think again. A report done in 2005 by the University of Texas Health Science Center showed that there is a 41% increased risk of getting obese for every can of diet soda a person drinks in a day.
Concerned about ingesting BPA (bisphenol A) from your soda bottle. Although most water bottle companies stopped using bottles made with BPA the soda companies have continued to use it in their products. A study done in Canada reported that “in the vast majority” of soft drinks tests, BPA was present. “Out of 72 drinks tested, 69 were found to contain BPA at levels below what Health Canada says is the safe upper limit. However, studies in peer-reviewed science journals have indicated that even at very low doses, BPA can increase breast and ovarian cancer cell growth and the growth of some prostate cancer cells in animals.”
Unfortunately it is not just about consuming soda. The bottled-water industry which is mostly owned by the soda companies is not taking care of the planet either. They use around seventeen million barrels of oil a year and as well the aluminum industry, who make the cans, use as much electricity as the entire continent of Africa! And, the aluminum industry leaves behind toxic chemicals from the process.
What else is in your soda! How about genetically modified food, high fructose corn syrup or aspartame. There are lots of scientific studies going on regarding aspartame in our diet these days. The Center for Science in the Public Interest noted a study by the European Ramazzini Foundation in Italy found that rats who consume aspartame in large quantities are more likely to develop cancer.
Another study, this time done at the Boston University School of Medicine found that drinking diet soda increased the risk factors for both heart disease and diabetes. The study found that adults who drink one or more sodas a day had about a 50% higher risk of excessive fat around the waist, low levels of “good” cholesterol, high blood pressure and symptoms that can lead to heart disease and/or diabetes.
And if you are in to eating a natural diet, then soda is the last food you should be consuming. There isn’t anything in soda that is natural other than caffeine. Soda is made from altered water (it is injected with carbon dioxide gas), artificial flavors, artificial colour, phosphoric acid and modified corn products. There isn’t any nutritional value in drinking soda. Unfortunately, it is not the Real Thing!
Sources:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-02/aafc-sdc020310.php
http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/373906/cocacola_just_part_of_indias_water_freeforall.html
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/03/05/popcans.html
http://www.pacinst.org/topics/water_and_sustainability/bottled_water/bottled_water_and_energy.html, http://www.earth-policy.org/index.php?/books/eco/eech6_ss3
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Diet/story?id=3317079&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8557195.stm
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/study-sugary-drinks-lead-early-grave/story?id=10019518
Related posts:
- Remove these Food Additives from your Diet Consider looking at the food labels when you are shopping...
- The Real Reason Why Breast Cancer is Plummeting Cancer rates in general are on a decline, but it’s...
- Everything You Need to Know about Fast Food MacDonald operates in 126 countries and employs about 400,000 people....
- The Fluoride Deception The Fluoride Deception by award-winning investigative reporter Christopher Bryson. The...
- Review: Fast Food Nation This book was hard to read in that the facts...
