The Harmful Effects of Soft Drinks on Your Health: Why You Should Quit

Soft drinks have been a popular drink choice for decades. They are widely available, present at parties and gatherings, and can be easily purchased in stores and restaurants. Unfortunately, these drinks are incredibly bad for your health and can be highly addictive.

Not only do soft drinks contain caffeine, but they are usually full of sugar. Even diet soft drinks, which use sweeteners instead, are still unhealthy. In fact, they are so bad for you that they can destroy your entire body. However, if you can kick the craving and give up soft drinks for good, amazing things will happen.

Here are the top 12 reasons why you should give up soft drinks:

1. You will enjoy your food more.

Soft drinks have so much sugar that they overwhelm your taste buds. Even diet soft drinks are bad as most sweeteners are up to 8,000 times sweeter than sugar. This causes them to alter the sweet receptors in your brain, making you crave sugar even more. By giving up soft drinks, your taste buds will go back to normal, and your food will taste flavorful again.

2. You decrease your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Drinking soft drinks regularly increases your chances of developing type 2 diabetes by 26%, according to a 2010 study in Diabetes Care. Even diet soft drinks aren’t any better, as drinking two-thirds of a can before a meal prepared the pancreas to release insulin. By giving up soft drinks, you’ll decrease your risk of getting type 2 diabetes.

3. You will lose weight easier.

The easiest way to lose weight is to stop drinking soft drinks. A single 12-ounce can contains 39 grams of sugar and 90 calories! Switching to water can save you an enormous amount of calories and sugar throughout your lifetime. Even a diet soft drink, although having zero calories, causes insulin to be released, increasing belly fat.

4. You will be helping out your kidneys.

Studies have found that giving up soft drinks can save your kidneys from the risk of disease and failure. Drinking soft drinks also puts you at a higher risk of developing kidney stones, according to a 2013 study.

5. You will have a healthier heart.

A 2012 Harvard University study found that soft drinks, among other sugary drinks, increased the risk of chronic heart disease. Consuming soft drinks raises your blood pressure making your heart health decline. To improve your heart health and decrease your blood pressure, stop drinking soft drinks!

6. You will have a whiter smile.

Drinking a lot of soft drinks corrodes your teeth so much that it’s comparable to a meth abuser, according to a 2013 study. Citric acid in soda eats away at tooth enamel, increasing the risk of cavities and yellowing. For a whiter, healthier smile, stay away from soft drinks!

7. You will be smarter.

Quitting soft drinks can make you smarter. Consuming sugar for an extended period can have a negative effect on your brain. Once you quit, you will think more clearly, focus easier, and improve your memory. If you think you’re safe by drinking diet soft drinks, you’re wrong. Chemicals found in aspartame may alter brain chemicals and nerve signals, leading to headaches, anxiety, and insomnia.

8. You will use the bathroom less.

Soft drinks are diuretic and bladder irritants. That means, you will need to urinate more often. Soft drinks also irritate your bladder, and can intensify bladder infections and urinary tract infections.

9. You will improve your immune system.

Artificial sweeteners in diet soft drinks affect healthy gut bacteria, which can affect blood sugar levels, weight management, and illness contraction. The acidity in all soft drinks is bad for your digestive system.

10. You will have more energy.

Just like coffee, soft drinks have caffeine, which is why a lot of people drink it – they want that pick-me-up. However, drinking too much caffeine only makes you more tired!

11. You will have healthier bones.

Studies have shown that there is a link between soft drinks and osteoporosis. A 2014 study found that consuming soft drinks regularly increased the chance of hip fractures for postmenopausal women by 14%.

12. You will live longer.

Giving up soft drinks can improve your overall health and potentially increase your lifespan!

In conclusion, soft drinks are incredibly bad for your health, can lead to weight gain, and increase your risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. By quitting soft drinks, you’ll enjoy your food more, lose weight easier, be smarter, have a whiter smile, and live longer. It is time to ditch the soft drinks and switch to a healthier beverage like water. Your body will thank you for it!