A decision now can help you live longer
Science has proven that soda is doing more harm than you think. There are a lot of reasons to skip soda as it can erode your tooth enamel, weaken your muscles, make you hungrier and even trim a few years off your life.
Yet despite knowing the countless risks associated with our favourite sodas, most people still reach out to their can of coke every once in a while. Let’s learn the science behind which habits do the most damage that can help make more informed decisions.
Drinking too much soda
Drinking two or more cans a day can cause some serious danger. A 2019 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that drinking two or more glasses of soft drinks significantly increased participants’ risk of death from all causes.
Drinking diet soda
The same study found that drinking artificially sweetened soft drinks increased all-cause mortality—i.e. the risk of dying for any reason—a shocking 26%, while sugar-sweetened soft drinks increased mortality by 8%. This means that diet sodas are more than three times as dangerous as full-sugar sodas.
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High-sugar options
Just because diet sodas are dangerous, doesn’t mean one should load up on the sugar. A study published found that high-sugar diets can make you age faster. It’s better off to stick with healthy, low-sugar alternatives to get your soft drink fix.
Brightly colored drinks
Food dyes can do some real damage. Studies have found that some artificial colors including yellow-5 and red-40 can hurt our body’s DNA and might even trigger cancer formation. It is advisable to check the ingredients and try to stick to sodas made with natural colors.
Drinking before you workout
Nutrition experts say that the worst time to drink soda is right before a workout because it will keep you from hydrating properly. This could make it harder to reap the life-extending benefits of exercise.
Drinking from a can
BPA may not be in most plastic bottles anymore, but many aluminium cans still contain this dangerous chemical in their epoxy lining. Drinking from the can could be exposing you to this blood-pressure-raising toxin, putting you at increased risk of heart disease.
Drinking soda late at night
Researchers have found drinking caffeinated soda late at night messes up with your sleep patterns, throwing off your circadian rhythm. Sleep quality is closely tied to longevity, hence it is advisable to skip the late-night cola for a longer life.
Remember good health begins with only small changes your lifestyle!
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