The Secret Reason Why Sugary Drinks Will KILL You

By Kevin DiDonato MS, CSCS, CES


Question: Is soda really THAT bad for you?

No matter if you call it soda, cola, pop, or sugar-sweetened beverages, you need to understand that these types of drinks may be very bad for you.

Soda consumption has been linked to the development of heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and strokes.

Sugar-sweetened beverages rank among the most widely consumed beverages, with almost half – 48 percent - of Americans drinking at least one glass per day. 

When asked, most of those people admitted that they felt they were somewhat overweight.

It has also been shown that 56 percent of adults between the ages of 18 and 34 consumed soda on a daily basis, with the average soda consumption being around 2.6 cups per day and some as high as 2 cans per day.

Soda is the number one cause for increased sugar consumption in children, which could be one cause of the obesity epidemic in our country's youth population.

However, soda, or sugar-sweetened beverages have many more ill-effects to your health.

Effects of Soda Consumption

The average regular soda contains roughly 40 grams of sugar.   If you were to measure that amount of sugar out, you would be looking at about 12 teaspoons of sugar.

Now, most people would not go around eating 12 teaspoons of sugar in a normal day, however, you do see them drinking a can, cup, or bottle of soda.

The American Heart Association has stated that women should only consume 100 calories per day from added sugar or 6 teaspoons, while men should only consume 150 calories per day from added sugar, or 9 teaspoons.

Soda and Stroke Risk

It has been shown that soda, when consumed daily, is associated with an increase in stroke risk.

In fact, soda has been shown to increase your risk for heart disease, alter your cholesterol levels, raise your blood pressure, and increase your risk for strokes.

Think diet soda would be better?

Diet soda was linked to a 60 percent increase in your chances for having a stroke.

Even when unhealthy risk factors were taken into consideration, diet soda and soda intake increased risk for stroke by a whopping 48 percent.

Soda and Type 2 Diabetes

When you consider that there is roughly 12 teaspoons of sugar in a bottle of soda, then it is no wonder you may have an increased risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes.

Increase consumption of soda has been shown to significantly increase your risk for developing inflammation, Type 2 Diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. 

In fact, one study showed that men who regularly drank soda were at an increased risk for developing diabetes.

In a similar study, this time with women, the study results showed that women who consumed soda daily were at an increased risk for developing diabetes, mainly due to greater weight gain and to soda's ability to add excessive calories; and the large amount of rapidly absorbed sugar that is commonly found in soda.

The reach of the ill-effects of soda are not just seen in the US.  In a study performed on Chinese men and women, they showed that soda consumption was shown to increase the risk for the development of diabetes.

Metabolic syndrome, which may be the step before diabetes development, is a combination of health conditions such as insulin resistance, high cholesterol, inflammation, and high blood pressure.

Recent research has shown that soda consumption is associated with an increased risk for developing metabolic syndrome.

Soda Intake and Weight Gain

With all the added sugar found in soda, you would expect an increase in your daily caloric intake, which could lead to excessive weight gain.

A study showed that when women went from drinking one soda per week, to one or more sodas per day, there was a significant jump in their weight.

Also, it has been shown that liquid sugar, like high fructose corn syrup, may alter your body’s ability to regulate appetite by altering the way it handles insulin and leptin.

Increased soda consumption has also been shown to increase visceral fat stores, or storage around internal organs, which could further increase your risk for metabolic syndrome and other chronic disease.

Take Away Message

Soda, cola, or pop, whatever name you use, is linked to many adverse health conditions.

It has increased in all age groups, with half of Americans saying they have at least one soda daily.

Soda drinkers may be at a higher risk for heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Plus, soda drinkers are more at risk for becoming overweight or obese, due to the excessive caloric intake related to drinking soda.

Diet soda, which most people turn to, has also been linked to weight gain, strokes, and diabetes.

The best advice: Keep yourself hydrated with a glass of water.  If you need your afternoon caffeine pick-me-up, opt for a cup of coffee.  Coffee may reduce your risk for weight gain by as much as 17 percent.

If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you should avoid added sugar intake, plus eliminate or reduce your intake of soda and diet soda.


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