How safe are SOFT DRINKS?

Chapter 19

SOFT DRINKS

The demand for soft drinks increases as the hot season comes. Everywhere we see people carrying a bottle of soft drink. Some people even keep a stock of soft drinks in the fridge. But how good are these soft drinks for our health. Have we stopped to think of this before paying a huge amount for the bottle? Is it not better to go for a bottle of water, milk or fresh fruit juice instead?

Soft drink is a beverage which does not contain alcohol. Those that contain alcohol are called ‘hard drinks’. Soft drinks are sold as sweet drinks in bottles and cans. They are mostly sold in chilled form.

Many of them are branded as fruit drinks but they have absolutely no natural fruits in them. Artificial fruit flavours and artificial colours are used to fool the people into buying them. They are very high in calories. It is better to go for fresh fruit juice. Fresh sugar cane juice and tender coconut water is available for cheaper rate. These are very good for health.

Till 1980 refined cane sugar or corn syrup was used to prepare soft drinks. But today high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is used as sweetener since it is cheaper. But it has been found that this HFCS is not good for our health. It causes diabetes, hypertension, hyperactivity and many other problems. Also these soft drinks contain very little or absolutely no vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein or any other essential nutrients. Instead they contain artificial colouring, artificial flavours, emulsifiers and preservatives.

Soft drinks are the main cause for obesity in children. These soft drinks are loaded with sugar and very high in calories. This makes the child hungrier than a child who does not drink soft drink. Also the soft drink is usually drunk with some fried food. The combination increases the risk of dangerous diseases when the child grows up. So don’t make your child habituated to soft drinks. Give fresh fruit juice instead.

Most soft drinks contain high concentration of simple carbohydrates like sucrose, fructose and glucose. No one thinks of washing their mouth after drinking soft drink. Hence tooth decay is faster in people who drink soft drinks. Many of the soft drinks are acidic and hence can damage the tooth enamel.  Hence if you cannot avoid drinking soft drink then at least remember to gargle with water after finishing the drink.

Experiments have shown that soft drinks displace calcium from bones making the bones weak and causing disease of bones.

Soft drinks contain benzene which is considered to increase the risk of cancer.

Some soft drinks contain quinine. Such soft drinks should not be store in sunlight. Due to sunlight the drink becomes harmful to heath due to the formation of cancer producing agents.

If you are seriously thinking of reducing your weight then you should replace the soft drinks with water or diluted fruit juices. Exercise is equally important. Half an hour of walking is needed to burn off the calories you collect due to drinking just one bottle of soda. (155 calories)