What Drinking Soda Does to Your Body

My name is Edda and I'm a Pepsi addict...

I drink Pepsi when I'm stressed. I drink it when I relax. I drink it when I want to reward myself. It's my drink of choice when going out to eat. I LIKE to drink the stuff. I know it's bad for me.

I'm drinking a Pepsi as I write this article.

My addiction is a problem -- I want to be healthy and I KNOW this stuff is the antithesis of healthy. And it's not just Pepsi that's the problem; it's ALL sodas.

I can identify 6 unhealthy aspects about this stuff:

1. Empty calories
2. High fructose corn syrup
3. Phosphoric acid
4. Caffeine
5. Aspartame (for those that drink diet sodas)
6. It takes the place of drinking water

Let's go over each of these points.

Calories
Soda is full of empty calories. (I discussed simple carbohydrates earlier in the Insomnia series.) Empty calories means there are no vitamins, fiber, protein or ANY other redeeming value. All you get is a sugar rush and a spike in insulin levels.

The American Heart Association recently issued a scientific statement saying that high intake of added sugars is implicated in many poor health conditions, including obesity, high blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease and stroke. And it recommended that women consume no more than 100 calories a day, or about 6½ teaspoons, from added sugars; men, no more than 150 calories, or about 9½ teaspoons. This includes table sugar, brown sugar, HFCS, honey, molasses, brown rice syrup, agave syrup and other caloric sweeteners.

A 12-ounce soda has about 150 calories and 40-50 grams of sugars in high-fructose corn syrup, equal to 10 teaspoons of sugar. One 20-ounce bottle, contains about 250 calories and the equivalent of about 15 teaspoons of sugar.

Dr. Frank Hu, of the Harvard School of Public Health, says that a single can of soda per day can make you gain 15 pounds of body weight annually.

Whoa! Fifteen pounds packed on per year just from drinking ONE can of soda every day. THAT's something to think about!

High-Fructose Corn Syrup
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is produced by milling corn to produce corn starch, then processing that starch to yield corn syrup, and then adding enzymes that change most of the glucose into fructose. While corn is subsidized in the United States, there are import tariffs and quotas on foreign sugar, making table sugar more expensive in the US than elsewhere in the world. HFCS is essentially a cheap substitute for beet and cane sugar.

Here are some of the side-effects of a diet high in fructose:

* HFCS converts to fat more than any other sugar. This may be one of the reasons Americans are continually gaining more weight not less weight. Dr. George Bray, principal investigator of the Diabetes Prevention Program at Louisiana State University Medical Center told the International Congress on Obesity that in 1980, just after high fructose corn syrup was introduced in mass quantities, relatively stable obesity rates began to climb. By 2000, they had doubled.
* HFCS inhibits copper metabolism. Copper deficiency leads to defects in the connective tissues and arteries, and bone fragility. As one chiropractor observed, “the bodies of the children I see today are mush.” The culprit is the modern diet high in fructose and low in copper containing foods, resulting in inadequate formation of elastin and collagen, the proteins that help hold our bodies together.

So, HFCS promotes obesity and prevents my body from rebuilding elastin and the collegen I need to get my knees into better shape. Not good.

Phosphoric Acid

Why do they put phosphoric acid in sodas? Maryland's Frostburg State University informs us,

"Phosphoric acid is deliberately added to soft drinks to give them a sharper flavor. It also slows the growth of molds and bacteria, which would otherwise multiply rapidly in the sugary solution."

Because good health depends upon our bodies being able to maintain a one-to-one balance between calcium and phosphorus in our systems, calcium is released from our teeth and bones into our bloodstreams to help balance the phosphoric acid in the pop we drink. Eventually the phosphoric acid is excreted, taking the released calcium with it.

Elson M Haas MD, author of "The Detox Diet: A How-To & When-To Guide for Cleansing the Body" states:

"Phosphorus is found in most foods but soda pops, diet pops contain
especially high amounts. The ideal dietary phosphorus-calcium ratio is about
1:1. The ratio in the average American diet is often greater than 2:1 and
sometimes even 4:1 or 5:1. At those levels, excess calcium is removed from
bone and eliminated, blood levels are reduced, and there is bone
demineralization. A diet high in phosphorus and low in calcium has been
shown to cause bone loss and increase tissue calcification."

"Tooth loss, periodontal disease, and gingivitis can be problems,
especially with a high phosphorus intake, particularly from soft drinks. All
kinds of bone problems can occur with prolonged calcium deficiency, which
causes a decrease in bone mass. Rickets in children, osteomalacia (decreased
bone calcium) in adults, and osteoporosis (porous and fragile bones) can
occur when calcium is withdrawn from bones faster than it is deposited.
Fractures are more common with osteoporosis the United States are related to this prevalent nutritional deficiency disease"

Phosphoric acid is also known to neutralize the hydrochloric acid in our stomachs. This is unfortunate, for we need hydrochloric acid to help us digest our food and utilize its nutrients. It is especially required for calcium utilization. So, not only does phosphoric acid leach calcium from our bones, it also prohibits hydrochloric acid from helping to restore it.

According to a report published in the March / April 2007 edition of General Dentistry, phosphoric acid in soda causes tooth enamel erosion, even with minimal exposure. While some consumers may believe that sugar is the only culprit of soda's adverse effects on dental health, enamel erosion occurs whether the soda is sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners.

The phosphoric acid in my daily can of Pepsi helps de-mineralize my bones and teeth and promotes the acid reflux problem I have by neutralizing the hydrochloric acid in my stomach. Pepsi is NOT looking too good right now.

Caffeine

Here is a list of the top 10 caffeine-related health effects from Ezine Articles (where you can read more details surrounding these 10 points):

1. Cardiovascular Problems
2. Emotional Disturbances
3. Blood Sugar Swings
4. Gastrointestinal Problems
5. Nutritional Deficiencies
6. Male Health Issues
7. Female Health Problems
8. Aging
9. Adrenal Exhaustion
10. Essential Mineral Depletion

Caffeine also does some strange things to your hormones.

1. Caffeine inhibits absorption of the body-calming adenosine, which can make you feel alert but can also inhibit sleep later on.
2. Caffeine injects adrenaline into your system, giving you a temporary boost, but possibly making you fatigued and depressed later. If you take more caffeine to counteract these effects, you end up spending the day in an agitated state, and might find yourself jumpy and edgy by night
3. Caffeine increases levels of cortisol, the "stress hormone", which can lead to health consequences ranging from weight gain and moodiness to heart disease and diabetes.

Many experts believe that increased levels of cortisol lead to stronger cravings for fat and carbohydrates, and cause the body to store fat in the abdomen. (Abdominal fat carries with it greater health risks than other types of fat.) Also, if increased cortisol levels lead to stronger cravings for caffeine-laden foods, the body goes into a cycle that leads only to worse health.
4. Caffeine increases dopamine levels in your system, acting in a way similar to amphetamines, which can make you feel good after taking it, but after it wears off you can feel ‘low’. It can also lead to a physical dependence because of dopamine manipulation.

Perhaps the caffeine/dopamine/cortisol connection helps explain the craving I have for the Pepsi. I KNOW I'm addicted. Now what am I going to do about it?

Aspartame

According to Dr. Janet Starr Hull, creator of the Aspartame Detox Program, there are 92 adverse reactions and side effects of aspartame. They include problems with eyes, ears, chest, neurology, psychological/psychiatric difficulties, gastrointestinal system, skin and allergies, endocrine system and metabolism. Aspartame toxicity also mimics or causes a wide range of horrible illnesses and symptoms.

Dr. Blaylock, a board certified neurosurgeon, author and lecturer, wrote the book, "Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills. He states that aspartame causes a dramatic increase in the blood plasma level; high levels of this poison excites brain cells and eventually kills them. It appears to either trigger or intensify neurological disorders such as: brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, and diabetes.

Of course, the makers of aspartame insist that the additive is safe.

I'm grateful that I stay far away from all products that contain aspartame (and it's cousin MSG)

Soda Replaces Water in Our Diets

Water is a natural energizer and increases metabolism. It helps to transport nutrients in our bodies. It removes waste and helps to flush out toxins. It regulates body temp. It helps to lubricate our joints. It can curb our appetite.

Soda has no beneficial ingredients in it except for the water. Caffeinated drinks take more water to process then the soda provides so it actually dehydrates you.

According to the Linus Pauling Institute, the average adult in the United States consumes over 21% of total calories from beverages—more than double what it was several decades ago.

This increase has contributed to a huge obesity problem in the US, not to mention an increase in diabetes, and other major illnesses.

So what have I learned from this research? Soda is very, very bad for my health. Water is the preferred beverage.

Now I need to do a hypnosis session on creating the natural reflex -> I don't want to put soda into my body. I'll get back to you on the success of this process.


What Happens to Your Body If You Drink a Caffeinated Soda Right Now?

In the first 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor, allowing you to keep it down.

20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (And there’s plenty of that at this particular moment.)

40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate; your blood pressure rises; as a response, your liver dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked, preventing drowsiness.

45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production, stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way.

> 60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium, and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary excretion of calcium.

> 60 minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (It makes you have to pee.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium, and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium, electrolytes, and water.

> 60 minutes: As the rave inside you dies down, you’ll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You’ve also now, literally, pissed away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like hydrating your system, or building strong bones and teeth.

This will all be followed by a caffeine crash in the next few hours. (As little as two if you’re a smoker.)