12 Dangers of Soda Drinks for Health

Healthy - Soda drinks are widely loved, thanks to their sweet, refreshing taste, and the tickling sensation on the tongue. However, those who often drink soda need to be careful. Because consuming this drink often has the potential to cause side effects for health.

A can of soda contains 155 calories, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 37 grams of sugar, and 34 milligrams of caffeine. In fact, the American Heart Association recommends that sugar consumption be limited to a maximum of 25 grams per day for women and 36 grams per day for men.

So, what are the dangers of consuming soda drinks?

Dangers of soda drinks Here are some potential dangers experienced by people who regularly consume soda drinks.

1. Digestive disorders

Soda drinks can potentially cause digestive disorders in the human body. This is because the sugar and carbonation content in soda drinks cause gas that causes bloating.

Drinking soda every day also often causes stomach aches, diarrhea, or constipation. This happens because the sugar in the drink becomes food for bad bacteria that damage the intestinal lining.

The sugar content can encourage excessive growth of harmful bacteria and fungi in the intestines. This can cause changes in microorganisms in the intestines.

Soda does not directly damage the stomach lining. However, this drink can cause irritation in the stomach which worsens the condition of people with digestive problems such as ulcers, GERD, and the like.

2. Problems in the mouthProblems in the mouth

In addition to digestive disorders, drinking soda can cause tooth decay and poor oral health. Soda also affects oral hygiene in saliva and gums. The high acid and sugar content in soda will be converted into lactic acid by plaque. This grows microbes that have the potential to cause tooth decay.

The drink also reduces saliva production. In fact, saliva is tasked with neutralizing acid and cleaning food particles and bacteria in the mouth. Without enough saliva, the mouth has a harder time fighting harmful bacteria.

In addition, sugar and acid from soda can irritate and cause inflammation in the gums. As a result, the gums will swell, bleed, and even experience gum recession.

3. Increased blood sugar

The high sugar content in soda also affects increased blood sugar. This is because the body easily and quickly absorbs the additional sugar in the drink.

Increased blood sugar levels will cause a spike in insulin production in the body. These changes cause glycemic variability or quite extreme changes and fluctuations in glucose.

Changes in glucose can cause energy fluctuations, fatigue, mood swings, and increase the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Too much sugar from soda in the body also has the potential to cause insulin resistance which is characterized by the emergence of metabolic syndrome. People who suffer from this condition become less sensitive to the hormone insulin which functions to control blood sugar.

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4. Decreased good cholesterol

Increased sugar levels in the body due to routinely consuming soda every day also affect good cholesterol levels in the body.

Adults who drink soda every day have the potential to reduce good cholesterol levels and have higher triglyceride levels in the blood.

The sugar in soda can be lost with physical activity. However, on the other hand, without sufficient activity, the liver will convert sugar into triglyceride fat.

5. Increased heart disease and stroke

A 2014 study showed that drinking soda every day increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Consuming one serving of soda or sweetened drinks every day increases the risk of heart disease by 16 percent.

Soda can also increase the risk of stroke, increase blood pressure, and cause hypertension which accelerates other health problems related to blood circulation.

6. Triggers liver disease

High sugar levels in soda can increase fat production in the liver. In fact, the liver is one of the organs involved in the metabolism of sugar from soda.

Excessive fat deposits in the liver trigger a condition called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This can trigger inflammation in the liver.

7. Weight gain

Soda is rich in calories and extra sugar. Therefore, these drinks can add weight significantly if consumed regularly every day.

This condition occurs because the fructose in soda produces less of the hormone that makes you feel full. Therefore, people who drink it will continue to eat without paying attention to their weight.

On the other hand, eating solid foods can fill the body. Drinking diet soda may be considered not to add weight because it is free of calories and sugar. In fact, these drinks still add weight because their sweet taste triggers the desire to continue consuming sweet foods.

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8. Sugar addiction

Reported from WebMD, sugar in soda drinks has the potential to cause addiction and even addiction in the human body. This happens because consuming soda can create signals similar to addiction in the brain.

The same condition is experienced by drug addicts. Addiction to sugar will get worse if high sugar levels are consumed by people who have other forms of addiction.

9. Belly fat

Not only sugar addiction, high sugar consumption in soda drinks can affect belly fat which causes bloating.

This happens because the sugar content can produce belly fat located in the interorgan space and external fat under the skin.

This belly fat can be dangerous because it increases the risk of heart disease, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and breast cancer.

10. Cancer

Soda and other sugary drinks are also widely associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.

Research shows that postmenopausal women may have a higher risk of developing endometrial or uterine cancer if they consume soda.

11. Gout

The high levels of fructose in the sugar in soda can increase uric acid in the body. High uric acid buildup can then cause inflammation in the joints. This is because uric acid can form crystals in the joints.

The higher the levels of fructose in the body, the greater the potential for gout.

12. Dementia

The high sugar levels in a can of soda can also cause inflammation in the brain.

Research also shows that drinking soda regularly is associated with higher levels of depression and a greater likelihood of developing dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease.