I am sure many of you are wondering why I am giving so much attention and importance to cola and soda drinks. Well, this is a critical subject that deserves the serious focus and intervention of health authorities as well as the awareness of consumers, regardless of their age, status, or nationality. Unfortunately, these nutrient-empty beverages have become so popular, prevalent and accepted as “harmless” drinks that they have managed to replace water and fresh juices in the recent years. However, in reality, they pose a considerable risk to the health if their consumption is not curbed. Now, I will remind you what the three past articles contained.
I explored the detrimental side effects of the massive amounts of sugar added to one single can (10 to 12 sugar lumps) of soda to make it more attractive to the human taste buds. Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, saccharin) have substituted sugar to satisfy the egos of weight watchers. The high caffeine content is included to perk the brain and mood as well as to energize the body.
Each and every ingredient is not only harmful on its own, but detrimental when combined with the other components. That is where the danger lies, especially when such beverages are consumed in excess. Very few people control the quantity they drink, especially Diet Cola consumers. The marketers target the youth and encourage them to consume more by making the beverages available everywhere in schools, colleges, offices, workplaces, airports, and even hospitals, even selling cheaper seconds and giant portions.
Another aspect to consider is that the refined sugar and caffeine combination becomes addictive. The brain and body crave more of the substance to maintain the enjoyable and energizing effects they produce.
A reminder of the other adverse impact of excessive cola and soda intake is the sudden drop in potassium, which affects the heart muscle, resulting in irregular heartbeat. Now, I shall continue with the other harmful compounds.
Sugar is not the only sweetener included in colas, sodas and soft beverages, but high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is also added to make it sweeter, more pleasing and addictive to the consumer. In excess, the sweetener produces its own share of injurious effects on health. Due to their high fructose and sugar content, excessive cola and soft drink intake can cause diarrhea.
The consumer is deceived into thinking that it is as healthy as the natural fructose in whole fruits. In fact when isolated, it creates an overload on the liver, as it labors to process it. It has been seen to cause liver cirrhosis as well as heart disease, kidney disorders and many more health problems.
Just like hydrogenated fats and aspartame, HFCS is also included in most manufactured and processed foods and soft beverages.
Now, we come to the carcinogens in colas! The color that gives them their deep brown color is called “caramel coloring.” It is achieved by the reaction of sugar, ammonia, and sulphites through high pressure and elevated temperatures. The fusion not only produces the so called “caramel” but also two dangerous by-products known as 2-methylimidazole (2-MI) and 4-methylimidazole (4-MI), which were found to provoke cancers in the lungs, liver and thyroid. In the State of California, 4-MI became recognized as “chemicals known to the state to cause cancer.” According to researchers at the University of California, the levels of these two carcinogenic substances can be particularly high in some colas, thereby increasing cancer risk.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group, protested to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the inclusion of ammonia in colas and other food supplies. Unfortunately, the FDA remained silent. As usual, the powerful American Beverages Association (ABA) responded that 4-MI is “not a threat to human health,” just like the tobacco industry has done before them.
By the way, the caramel coloring is an ingredient that is not only included in Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola, but also in many other manufactured foods and drinks, just like the artificial sweetener, aspartame, and hydrogenated fats. The industry promised to remove the caramel coloring ingredients. Let us hope they keep their word.
Carbonated drinks are also high in phosphoric acid, which flushes calcium out of the body, thus depriving the bones of the mineral. Bones build and break down bone mass daily. With calcium depletion caused by high soda intake, the bones miss out on rebuilding bone mass, leading to frail bones, bone loss and higher risks of fractures and osteoporosis. This is a serious warning to children, adults and athletes.
One more overlooked and extremely dangerous fact about “Diet” sodas is that when the containers are exposed to high temperatures in locked cars or when crates of these drinks are left in the sun, above 38 degrees Celsius, they become dangerous to the consumer’s brain. American soldiers experienced a strange syndrome during the Gulf War I, when they consumed colas exposed to the heat and searing sun of the desert. Because aspartame is an excitotoxin and a neurotoxin, it causes toxicity in the brain. The aspartic molecule is a neurotoxin that takes the form of excitatory neurotransmitters and mimics them. The heat makes aspartame twice as toxic. This is particularly an issue in Saudi Arabia and other hot countries of a similar climate. Retailers, eateries and consumers should be cautious about this aspect. Fortunately, proactive and concerned environmental health experts are calling for the ban on aspartame use.
Like aspartame, monosodium glutamate (MSG) is implicated in acting similarly in the brain. When both are ingested simultaneously or found in excess in the system, they can turn the immune system against the body, attacking organs (joints, lungs…) and resulting in autoimmune disorders (multiple sclerosis [MS] fibromyalgia, lupus).
Here is one last advice for the day. Don’t trust scientific researches or studies funded by the food, beverage, or drug industries or performed by their scientists. The results are usually tweaked to their interest and work to their advantage in order to promote the sales of their products. Don’t you wonder why the industry spends money on research? They do it to make their products look science proven and convince the layman of their “harmless” effects. Most consumers don’t question a product except after bad publicity appears. Independent scientists and researchers should have no interest or connection to the particular industry.
Next week, I shall tackle some of the energy beverages and uncover their dangerous side effects. Be cautious of what is advertised, especially products which are not supported by independent scientific research.
References:
• Articles by Will Carrol
• Reuters, Coke and Pepsi change recipe to avoid cancer warning
• Internet articles
• What soft drinks are doing to your body, article by Dr. Mao
• One soft drink a day raises “heart attack danger” by 20% according to US study by Fiona Macrae
• NaturalNews, Obama agency rules Pepsi’s use of aborted fetal cells in soft drinks constitutes ‘ordinary business operations,’ by Ethan A. Huff
• Men’sHealth. Are energy drinks dangerous to your health, by David Zinzenko with Matt Goulding
N.B.:
Individuals with medical conditions or on medication should consult their physicians when they decide to introduce anything new in their diet even if it is natural.
What about soda and energy drinks (Part 4)
What about soda and energy drinks (Part 4)
