If it ain’t enough that sugary drinks (read: soda, diet soda, juice cocktails, and energy drinks) contribute to obesity, a new study shows that they may also increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart and vascular disease, as well as metabolic syndrome – all of which may lead to diabetes and heart disease. A new study shows that sugary drinks can lead to higher uric acid levels, which, in turn, can lead to disease. It is no surprise that soda is the number one drink Americans choose, even ahead of water, but here go some more interesting statistics. People who drink more than one soda a day have:
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31% greater risk of becoming obese.
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30 percent increased risk of adding belly fat.
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25 percent higher risk of developing high blood triglycerides or high blood sugar.
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32 percent higher risk of having low HDL (good cholesterol) levels.
And now, as we are learning, higher uric acid levels. Uric acid is the body’s natural breakdown product of protein. When blood levels of uric acid are high, it can lead to disorders such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, kidney stones, gout and more.
These conditions don’t happen over night, so if you are a soda drinker, you can halt their progression by cutting down or quitting soft drinks altogether. The reality is that soft drinks provide nothing by way of nutrition – and they certainly don’t get you drunk – so my question is: Why?
“Well they taste good.”
They taste good?
“Yeah. They taste good.”
Sheesh. At the risk of standing on a pulpit, here. Aren’t good tasting things supposed to be occasional treats. We’re drinking this stuff more than water. Did you know that without water there would be no life at all? Anywhere?
How can we drink more soda than water? I’m sorry but it’s beyond me. Please enjoy a soda now and again, but, well, we all know at least one person who drinks three, four, even six cans of soda per day. Is anybody still perplexed as to why obesity is epidemic in this country? Still scratching your heads over America’s world health rankings? I promise you’ll be hearing more about soda’s ill effects on health in the years to come. But fear not Coca-Cola shareholders – soft drink companies will not be going out of business anytime soon. Heavens no. They’ve already firmly established themselves in the next big market – bottled tap water. Stay tuned for more.
