How I ruin my health with sodas consumption
Do you find yourself reaching for a can of soda from the vending machine or from your home’s fridge most of the time?
I was consistent with this habits for some years, and without the proper exercises it soon ruins my health.
I gained weight, and continue to crave for more food after each sodas from the sugar crash.
When I’m diagnosed as Prediabetic they certainly have to go.
I switched to drinking more coffee and tea rather than reaching for a can of sugar sweetened drinks.
When my blood glucose start to see some improvement, which inspire me to continue watching what I drink.
Today while I may still want something fizzy, I would settle for smaller servings of zero calorie beverages.
No more insatiable appetite that makes me what to consume bigger portions of meal. And since I aimed to drink more water, and tea infused water does the trick.
The Damage Sodas (Or any Sugary Drinks) Can do to us
They Offer little Nutrients
Regular sodas contain no essential vitamins, minerals, or fibers that are beneficial to our diet. And contains a lot of added sugar.
Drinking them provides empty calories that quickly add to your daily calorie without benefits like from a meal. The body cannot get any real nourishment when you go for these sweet stuff.
Sweetened Fruit juices are no better people! Stripped off their original nutrients and added later on as preservatives(Ascorbic Acid).
Manufacturers enrich their fruit juices with vitamins, but I see this as a marketing ploy. Which covers the truth of the little value they provide.
Sugar Crash afterwards
When you drink a can of soda on its own, the high sugar content causes a quick spike in blood sugar. The body then needs to crank up insulin hormone to stabilize our blood sugar. This leads to a sharp crash in a short amount of time. Leading to fatigues, and craving for more sugar down the line.
Increase Risk of Chronic Diseases
Soda and sweetened beverages can easily be the product we over consume without much of our attention. Excessive sugar intake is one of the most direct link to the increase in Chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes, and even certain Cancers.
Dental Damage
Sodas are acidic from the carbonation and added citric acid, they erodes our tooth enamel. This leads to increased risk of tooth decay and forming cavities.
The bacteria in our mouth also thrives from the excessive sugar in sodas, leading to plaque buildup or gum diseases.
Bone Health
Studies have found that higher soda consumption are linked to higher risk of fractures.
When combined high phosphorus intake with low calcium intake, may stimulate parathyroid hormone and cause bone resorption(Kristensen, M., et al., 2005). Which may increase the risk of osteoporosis.
How Coffee & Tea differs from Sodas?
Coffee and Tea had been cultivated and drank for their benefits for millennia. The long history of consumption shows the positive effects they provide.
Increased energy and help with our focus
Though moderation is important in this case, as both coffee and tea contains caffeine.
The caffeine provide a natural boost to our energy level and keeps us focused during the day.
Promotes hydration (although they’re diuretics)
Even though caffeine has a mild diuretic effect, when consumed within the daily limits does contribute to water intake.
The FDA daily recommended caffeine intake is 400mg, which is about 3-4 cups of regular black coffee. The amount can varies depending on the different beans and methods.
The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages the consumption of caffeine and other stimulants by children and adolescents. So definitely be careful not to give your kids these caffeinated drinks. Some sweetened beverages and energy drinks does have caffeine added to them.
Tea have much smaller dose of caffeine but still varies depending on the type. Black tea being the highest followed by lighter tea such as Green tea, White tea, and Oolong tea.
Here’s a General range for an 8oz cup of tea:
- Black tea: 14-61mg
- Green tea: 20-45mg
- White tea: 6-60mg
- Oolong tea: 18-40mg
Did you notice the big range for each tea? Apparently brewing method plays a major role in their caffeine content. Cold steeped and briefer brew time extract less caffeine from the tea leaves.
While these tea are lower in caffeine, kids should still try to avoid them. But options like Chrysanthemum Flower tea, or Tea made solely from dried fruits are a-OK.
Potential in weigh management
One of the biggest marketing point of Coffee and Tea would be their potential in helping people manage weight. Obviously this is only when you don’t add sugar into them. And limit the milk added to watch those sugar intake.
Remember in this case its not meant for sugar sweetened drinks, but those without added sugar.
Some teas can enhance moods and cognitive function.
Studies suggested Green Tea has the effect of improving cognitive functions.
So does certain Herbal Teas, or teas infused with herbs which provide benefits beyond what caffeine offers.
Chamomile Tea had been consumed for centuries, well known for its calming effect. It also helps with sleeps. (Srivastava, J. K., et al, 2010). This is also true in other teas, such as Lavender Infusion Tea.
Whereas Medicinal Tea like Ginkgo and Sage Tea may help with memory and cognitive function.
The support of Coffee and Tea consumed in Moderation is key.
While more studies are being done to learn about the effects of coffee and tea. Always consult with a doctor, especially if you take any prescription drugs, or has certain health conditions.
Gradually Switch to Unsweetened Drinks
Not gonna lie, not everyone can switch to drink Black Coffee without adding sugar or milk (cream).
You don’t have to do it straight away. Neither did I.
When it started out for me, I had my coffee with cream or milk but without adding sugar. As the time goes on we get to appreciate the taste of the coffee itself rather than focus on the sweetness the sugar provide.
Before long I find myself opt for black coffee and gradually find it more appealing to me.
Same thing could be said for Teas, but it is easier than coffee, cuz they’re usually less bitter.
Like Coffee, add less sugar, and even less creamer to them and you gradually learn to appreciate the original flavor.
Explore different methods to brewing these works too. As I found that cold steeped coffee and tea taste even better.
It also take less time to prepare, I just prepare them a day ahead.
Remember that although these drinks contribute to your total water intake of the day, moderation is key for everything. Drinking more water should still be your main method of water consumption.
And that caffeine should be limited in the evening hours to minimum as it affects our sleep quality.
Lets wrap this up
While caffeine itself have some side effects, there’s still lots to gain from it compare to sugar beverages.
I’d be mindful of my consumption of coffee, sometimes swapping it with tea.
When cravings do strike me I will still have some sodas, the zero calorie type for its fizz. Plain soda water works too.
I hope after reading this it can inspire you to consume less sweetened beverages. Be it for the sake of prevention of chronic diseases or simply to have better control your blood glucose.
References
- Chen, L., Liu, R., Zhao, Y., & Shi, Z. (2020). High Consumption of Soft Drinks Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Fracture: A 7-Year Follow-Up Study. Nutrients, 12(2), 530. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12020530
- Srivastava, J. K., Shankar, E., & Gupta, S. (2010). Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future. Molecular medicine reports, 3(6), 895–901. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2010.377
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