Bigger Soft Drinks? Really?!

On my way home yesterday, I saw a couple of ads for soft drinks offering more for the same amount of money. I cringed. It's usually underprivileged families and young students who buy this stuff. It was 1.25 liters for $0.99 or 20oz for the same price. They are addictive, have no nutritional value, and they are horrible for your health! Remember, You Are What You Eat...

Want a few reasons why colas are unsafe? (Full Article: Soft drinks: Unsafe Beverages)
The carbonation in all soft drinks causes calcium loss in the bones through a three-stage process:

1. The carbonation irritates the stomach.
2. The stomach "cures" the irritation the only way it knows how. It adds the only antacid at its disposal: calcium. It gets this from the blood.
3. The blood, now low on calcium, replenishes its supply from the bones. If it did not do this, muscular and brain function would be severely impaired.

This substance also causes a drawdown on the store of calcium. So, soft drinks soften your bones (actually, they make them weak and brittle) in three ways: 

1. Carbonation reduces the calcium in the bones.
2. Phosphoric acid reduces the calcium in the bones.
3. The beverage replaces a calcium-containing alternative, such as milk or water. Milk and water are not excellent calcium sources, but they are sources.

And now you know why bone damage formerly apparent only in the very old is now showing up in teenagers.

The picture gets worse when you add sugar to the soft drink. The sugar, dissolved in liquid, is quickly carried to the bloodstream, where its presence in overload quantities signals the pancreas to go into overdrive. Diet ones are even worse. Those artificial sweeteners are detrimental.
 
Next time your are considering indulging in some soda pop, think. Maybe some iced tea or lemonade would be a better option. Informed decisions, especially about your health, will reap nothing but goodness. Besides, nothing beats good ole, life-giving and life-supporting H2O. Water rules!
 
Here's to staying refreshed and hydrated properly,
+Erika