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I have to admit, as a former teacher, I used to cringe when I saw the amounts of soda my students could put away in a day. We may as well have installed a soda pop fountain instead of the water fountain. Later, as I worked with parents of infants, I almost choked on a bite of lunch one day to see a baby's bottle filled with Coke. Since that memorable day, I have met others who regularly purchase Pepsi for their tots and think nothing of it when they stock the fridge with Mt. Dew.
One thing I know for sure: soda in no way benefits your baby, your child (or you!)
According to the Nutrition Research Center,
this is what happens to your body within 1 hour of drinking a can of
soda:
-10 minutes:
10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system, which is 100 percent of your
recommended daily intake. You'd normally vomit from such an intake, but
the phosphoric acid cuts the flavor.
-20 minutes: Your blood
sugar skyrockets. Your liver attempts to maximize insulin production in
order to turn high levels of sugar into fat.
-40 minutes: As your
body finishes absorbing the caffeine, your pupils dilate, your blood
pressure rises, and your liver pumps more sugar into the bloodstream.
Adenosine receptors in your brain are blocked preventing you from
feeling how tired you may actually be.
-45 minutes: Your body
increases dopamine production, causing you to feel pleasure and adding
to the addictiveness of the beverage. This physical neuro response works
the same way as it would if we were consuming heroin.
>60
minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in your
lower intestine, which boosts your metabolism a bit further. High doses
of sugar and artificial sweeteners compound this effect, increasing the
urinary excretion of calcium. The caffeine’s diuretic properties come
into play. (You have to GO!) Your body will eliminate the bonded
calcium, magnesium and zinc that was otherwise heading to your bones.
And you will also flush out the sodium, electrolytes and water. Your body has eliminated the water that was in
the soda. And in the process it was infused with nutrients and minerals
your body would have otherwise used to hydrate your system or build
body cells, bones, teeth.
-60 minutes: The sugar crash begins. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You start feeling like crap. Time to grab another?
43 comments:
Thankyou so much for this information.
and this doesn't even touch on the negative impact of the sweetener used in most soft drinks now, high fructose corn syrup. To make a long story short, high fructose corn syrup causes your body to deposit fat around your major organs (liver, kidneys, heart, etc.) and slowly chokes out their function. The alternative health website, www.mercola.com had a great article recently on the dangers of fructose.
Thanks. FYI-- I looked at the original article. It is actually soda, not diet soda. Still, It's a is very compelling story. Thank you for sharing.
thnx so much for the useful info! :)
thx for the useful info... :)
I think it is neglect that people allow there children to drink any type of nutrionally lacking liquid like soda. People are poisoning their children and they have no accountability to stop it. It is ridiculous! I was persecuted by a doctor for not giving my child Tylenol and yet the same doctor said nothing to aprent allowing her 1 year old to drink a coke out of a bottle. What has happened to our medical profession???!!! This is why I don't trust them.
Is this for diet soda or regular....wonder what the effects of aspartame v. Sugar are...
I just wanted to point out that diet soda (or coke at least) doesn't contain sugar. It contains aspartame, which breaks down to create FORMALDEHYDE in the body (with it's own long list of super nasty consequences!) Are you sure they weren't studying the effects of regular soda?
Does coffee do the same thing?
OH WOW that is definately scary! Is there a better "soda" solution? Cause I do drink a lot of soda and coffee.......
We cut soda out from our diet a long time ago...Occasionally I'll have a pepsi as a treat, but it's pretty rare. We've sworn off of high fructose corn syrup and aspartame... Unfortunately my family members (parents & siblings) don't care to hear how horrible these substances are. It's horrible to think that our culture embraces ingesting such chemicals as normal. We were not created to eat/drink such things.
@ Anonymous: Coffee doesn't have the phosphoric acid (nor the effects, therefore) -- and that's why if you put 10 teaspoons of sugar in your coffee you've got some really sweeeet coffee.
Great article and comments. Glad to find this FB page!
for those that decide the diet drinks are ok, aspartame, from what I have read and heard is a PSYCHOTROPIC DRUG. Meaning it tricks your brain chemically (cause its a drug) into thinking something is sweet.
As such, it will still cause your body to crave sweets/sugars/carbs.
Here's something to consider: since the bones actually provide 700mg of Calcium to the digestive system each day when the soda leaches the minerals out the bones must replace that and are depleted unnecessarily. It isn't only the Calcium that you've ingested that is lost. Is it any wonder that our youth have the bones of 80 year olds?
Either type of soda is awful...
And yes, aspartame does cause neurological damage. I had a patient diagnosed with MS. In talking with her about it I asked about Aspartame usage. She drank Crystal Light EVERY day.
We took her off the crystal light and lo and behold, her MS symptoms went away!
I am surprised that there are no comments on the adverse affects on teeth. Both regular AND diet soda are highly acidic and erode the enamel of your teeth. Dentistis even have a term for it called "Mountain Dew Mouth" due to teens drinking it large quantities for the caffeine and sugar.
Our children never new what soda pop was until they started school and I managed to keep it away from them until a neighbor gave them some when they were 5 and 8. We never kept it in the house. As adults now one doesn't drink it at all because he likes to stay in shape for wrestling and the other just doesn't buy it because she is a starving graduate student and recognizes that money spent on pop is spent on pop is a waste.
Thank you for posting this. I'm going to share it with others.
a note on MTN DEW MOUTH... all through high school I drank mtn dew.. lost 6 molars for it, my teeth are falling apart every time I get pregnant, and 1 dentist even told me I needed full dentures.. I am 25 years old! I have 2 small children, NO SODA ALLOWED for my kids. Occasionally, my oldest may have a small amount of Sprite if he is thirsty and there is no other option!
I am just thankful I have found a dentist that said I can save the rest of my original teeth!
not to forget for breastfeeding mothers that not only does the baby get all of these effects too but that increased levels of Dopamine mean decreased levels of Prolactin...which means decreased milk supply!
perhaps that is why it is so addictive! I never drink the stuff and don't feel like it either, especially after reading this!
Studies indicate folks who had more than 500-600 mg of caffeine per day had 70 PERCENT more estrogen. I quit cold turkey when I realized my Diet Coke habit was feeding my killer PMS. Excess estrogen is also linked to heart attacks, various cancers, etc.
Why this stuff a.) isn't regulated, b.) is in almost everything, I'll never know.
It's the subsidies. Sugar and corn are artificially cheap.
You are drinking tax dollars and the beverage/processed food industry is getting rich at the expense of your health.
I believe that this disturbing trends originated as the criminals who used slaves over a hundred years ago had to replace that with another horror, and sugar was their main weapon of mass health destruction.
Coffee at least has antioxidants but sugar and high fructose corn syrup are destroying the lives of our children. It is a little like the Taliban marketing opium to the world.
Remember it's not just soda that's the problem. I see some of you have written about teeth or bone problems being related to soda specifically. Yes, the combination of sugar and caffeine and other chemicals are not good, but if you eat/drink sugar in anything (or on it's own of course), it will make your blood acidic and your bodies minerals will go towards counteracting the negative effects of sugar that would otherwise be used to maintain your health (as people here have already explained). Sugar gives nothing of value and takes away a lot.
The whole reason that your teeth are so affected by sugar is because your teeth are an extension of your bones, and which therefore become problematic when your body is deficient in minerals.
Modern Western science/medicine unfortunately continues to separate body systems. If you really want to understand what health and disease are in a more useful and comprehensive way, then you're much better off learning something about Oriental medicine. Buy a good acupuncture book written for the layman that explains the theory. It's easy to grasp and makes a lot of sense about things that Western medicine is still struggling to understand.
I also find macrobiotics incredibly accurate, both in theory and practice.
This is indeed great info, but I hated reading it -- since becoming pregnant, I will occasionally (once or twice a week) have a soda because it helps to settle my stomach, and feels like a nice change of pace from the gallons of water I need to drink. I guess I was equating it with the "one cup of coffee a day is ok while pregnant" advice (incidentally, I've only had decaf since being pregnant).
I NEVER craved soda before being pregnant, and what a time to start...
Any advice on a substitute? I sometimes buy the "natural" soda from our local food co-op. Wonder it it really makes a difference?
Response to the last anonymous poster:
Having a soda (especially 'clear' or flat soda like Sprite) a few times a week to calm your stomach while pregnant is not going to do damage to your system or the baby's. Occasional use is different than if you were drinking 4 Mt. Dew's a day.
No worries!
Just please don't feed soda to your baby once s/he is born. ;)
Great article. I have been teaching people about how bad soda is for years. Most people don't have a clue of the effects it has on the body.On top of all the soda they drink that leaches calcium out of their bones they don't eat adequate amounts of vegetables and they think they are getting calcium from milk. Funny how we are the #1 consumer of dairy in the world but we have the highest rate of osteoporosis! I commend you for you trying to educate the masses :)
My dd is 2.5 and doesn't drink soda - just water, milk, and my milk and maybe at d/c juice (I wish I could be stronger to stop this). I grew up drinking soda, my parents had no understanding of nutrition, so at dinner we drank soda - there was ALWAYS soda in the house. When I moved out on my own, I realized I didn't like it very much and it was an extra expense to buy and to order when eating out. My only caveat is when my stomach hurts so bad from the flu or a virus, I must have Canada Dry Ginger Ale!
It makes me so terribly sad to see toddlers with soda cans, cups or soda in their sippy cups. I still don't know how I will handle it when and if my daughter requests soda. I don't want it to be something she sneaks out to drink. I had friends like that who would eat candy bars all day in school or put on 5 lbs of make-up in the bathroom when they got to school, just to clean it off at the end of the day?!
Another interesting thing, at 38-I have had about 3 cavities, one of my sister's (who doesn't drink soda since she moved out) has 1 cavity and my sister and mom who are heavy soda drinkers are cavity and root canal ridden.
When will you post the detrimental effects of fruit juice and all non-organic foods and beverages which are filled with carcinogenic pesticides? Soda is bad, but most parents have no idea that their kids are perpetually poisoned by conventional foods grown and processed in this country.
Soda is one of the worst things you can put in your body. Thanks for the report. I wrote an article about it myself. For me, I only drink tea or milk or water. My boys are the same.
To the pregnant mama who drinks a few sodas- I suggest making soda from water kefir. http://www.culturesforhealth.com/Water-Kefir-Grains-p10.html You can also make lacto-fermented sodas from the book, Nourishing Traditions (westonaprice.org).
Not only are they a better replacement, but you might as well get some probiotics out of your "soda" drinking. Hope that helps.
very interesting article indeed. As a child in a large lower-middle income family we didn't drink soda for economical reasons as well as health. Yes we were allowed to have it occassionally and sometimes at home on pizza-night or for parties ect. I rarely drink it now more because I don't think it is normal to put carbonation into my body and don't like how it feels. As with any "junk-food" that I do enjoy, thankfully I was raised to consume in moderation, and we were also taught about the bad effects of overindulgence of these foods. More importantly, we were taught how to be kind and considerate of others who for whatever reason were not able to consume these products as well. My parents did a pretty good job and I never had much of a problem having crackers with peanutbutter or cheese or an apple or homemade lemonade or just water if a friend was restricted to the same. (Unfortunately alcohol was not present in our home so no good behavioral lessons were learned about that until later in life and then I learned the hard way, but I think that is a different blog )
I am happy and proud to say that I have drastically cut down on the amount of soda I drink....I used to drink it like it was going out of style! Now, I still drink it, but not even close to how I used to....I am more apt to drink water, or green smoothie, or coconut milk or tea....
My 3.5 year old son has only had the sips of my soda that he took when I wasn't looking....but he knows he isn't supposed to have it...and I try not to drink it in front of him! LOL
He LOVES his milk and water, and for that I am grateful! :)
Kombucha is a wonderful natural substitute for soda, naturally carbonated, it tastes like a delicious cross between soda and a light wine (although .05 or less alcohol content, the same as juice!). Whether purchased from the health food store or made at home, it is delicious and oh so good for you!
http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Drink-Kombucha?&id=2378642
been off soda since Oct. I did it because of my daughter's eczema(sugar & artificial sweetners bad for eczema). It was hard but I feel so good, my moods have improved w/out the sugar in my system. Thanks for this post, it helps to be reminded about why u make the choices u do
PS...if you want to try kombucha as a healthy alternative to soda and are buying it, this is the brand I like best - grape and strawberry are a good place to start. You can find it at Whole Foods and pretty much any health food stores and even some grocery stores these days. Yum! (So much energy too and makes me feel SO good!)
http://www.synergydrinks.com/
To the anonymous pregnant woman who drinks soda occasionally, try lactofermented drinks like water kefir (can be flavored with fruit, like a lactofermented lemonade or berry fizz), or lactofermented ginger ale or root beer. (I bet that ginger would settle your stomach!) Kombucha is sweet and fizzy too, but I've recently learned that it's SO detoxifying, it's not recommended for nursing moms. Google for recipes. :)
To the pregnant lady...and all pregnant ladies...
I know how you feel about wanting the carbonation! With my first pregnancy, I had a local supply of real ginger ale and used that during the first trimester. It doesn't take a lot to feel better...just a couple swigs when you feel the nausea.
But this time around I could not find any true ginger ale...it was all flavored, food coloring added, sugary stuff.
So I turned to Izze fruit drinks. I also think they are detrimental, but less so than soda. Just a few sips is really helpful.
I grew up in a no-soda household. We were allowed to have soda one time a year: at our 4th of July BBQ. We each got a can of it.
I've had more as a teen/young adult, but even then I was always suspicious of the sugar content, chemicals and food coloring. So I never really got into the habit.
Since marrying DH, our household has been a "no-soda" environment. Although I must admit, sadly, lol, that I gave DD a taste of soda one time at a party. For the fun of seeing her squishy face. *sigh*
Nice to see someone figured all this out and put it on one page.
What about kool-aid and juice? They have the same sugar as soda and parents are more eager to give them to their kids than soda--like carbonation is bad or something? I wasn't allowed soda as a kid, but I drank juice like there was no tomorrow--and still do. My mom is a health nut.
Soda pop is called "soft drink" for a reason: your bones WILL become soft. In the old days, ladies would add some vinegar to the stock pot when cooking down bones for broth. The acidic vinegar leached out the calcium and minerals, making a super rich stock for soups. (See Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon or the Weston A. Price Organization for more info on how people ate when the country was healthy) What does that say about drinking a can of acidic liquid daily?
I always drink water or flavored iced tea at a restaurant.
I wonder how much sugar is in the flavored iced teas that they serve?
Does anyone know?
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