Why It's Time To End Your Love Affair With Soft Drinks

To all of my soda-loving friends, you might find this enlightening:

A wise Lululemon bag reads, “Soft drinks are the cigarettes of the future.”  It might sound alarming, but it is by no stretch of the imagination.  As a product found readily available in elementary school vending machines, a routine soft drink may seem harmless enough, but alas, you have been misinformed.  These chemical-induced bubbly pleasures are a primary contributing factor to the plague of degenerative diseases in America today.  Did you know that 35% of U.S. sugar consumption comes from soft drinks, making them a national addiction?

All sodas contain sweeteners, in the form of high fructose corn syrup or sugar substitutes such as aspartame.  It is well known that refined sugar has incredibly toxic effects of every organ and system in the body, acting as an antinutrient of empty calories.  You think you’re doing yourself a favor by drinking diet?  Nonsense—diet sodas have no proven link to weight loss (adversely, all habitual soda consumption is linked to weight gain) and furthermore increase sugar cravings.  Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and Nutra-sweet are neurotoxic substances associated with conditions such as pancreatitis, high blood pressure, retinal hemorrhaging, seizures, and depression; also linked to birth defects and chemical disruptions in the brain.  Studies have shown that even low levels of these substances induce adverse changes in the pituitary gland—the gland responsible for proper functioning of all biochemical processes.  When digested, aspartame breaks down into amino acids phenylalanine and aspartic acid, plus methanol.  Methanol, or wood alcohol, is a known poison and its safety level has never been determined.

Another ingredient present in soft drinks is phosphoric acid (what gives it the bubbly kick), which blocks the absorption of calcium and magnesium in the intestines.  Phosphoric acid is directly related to fragile bones in children and osteoporosis and bone loss in adults, and is also a major cause of kidney stones.  Consequently, magnesium deficiency is a thorough impairment to the immune system, resulting in chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, etc. 

Most of us are already aware of the many side effects caffeine has on the body, but to further comprehend, it basically acts like sugar in the system.  When consumed, the adrenal gland is stimulated to release an adrenaline-like substance, triggering the liver to release sugar into the bloodstream (hence your caffeine high).  Blood-sugar regulation in the body is a very delicate process, and the constant stimulation of regular caffeine intake is extremely hard to tolerate.  Blood-sugar lowering mechanisms overreact, leading to conditions such as chronic fatigue, depression, dizziness, allergies, and behavioral disorders.

In addition to the aforementioned substances, soda manufacturers finish off their chemical concoctions with a slew of artificial flavorings, colorings, and preservatives, most of which have suspect claims to safety.  The combination of laboratory-produced ingredients found inside a can of soda severely irritates the stomach lining, and has profound and complex effects on the nervous system (especially prominent in children).  Prolonged use can and will in some cases lead to cancer, bone loss, mental disorders, birth defects...should I go on?  Ultimately, sodas are an addiction that will sap your physical and mental health.  Not convinced?  I dare you to quit drinking soft drinks for two whole weeks and see for yourself how much better you feel.  If you’re serious about kicking this habit, you don’t have to go cold turkey.  Limit yourself to 4 a week, then 3, then 2, and substitute green tea or sparkling mineral water on your days off.  Eventually, you won’t even think about them any more, and it will even be okay to treat your hangover to a Coke every once in a while!  I promise you, sodas are a sacrifice worth making.


XO,
E