16 Harmful effects of cold drinks

Beware you all heavy soft drink guzzlers! Your habit is fraught with great risks to the health. The list of problems goes well beyond the usual weight gain and obesity and you need to be careful. Such drinks have no nutrition and even contain harmful chemicals.

Despite that, it’s surprising why people of all age groups like gulping them down without any care in the world. Plus, they have high sugar content and can weaken dental structure in a big way. So, stay away from them and rather drink something that delivers value.

Let’s look at some of harmful effects of cold drinks

#1 Risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome

Soft drinks have high sugar content that can make your blood sugar level go up. The product neither makes one feel satiated for long nor stops pangs of hunger, therefore forcing people to snack on after the drink and this raises the waistline and subsequent risk to diabetes.

The sugar content in such drinks is the real culprit as far as health problems go as it is responsible for wait gain. With artificial sweetness in them, there is always risk to the body and more importantly, it often makes one crave for more sugar. Read also All that pregnant moms need to know about gestational diabetes.

#2 Heart disease risks

Regular sugar drink consumption is always an invitation to a lot of health problems. In doing so, you are always at risk of obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

All this can lead to cardiovascular disease. In fact, chances of getting a heart attack remain higher in people who consume soft drinks on a regular basis.

Similarly, those who drink soft drinks regularly often end up with bad food choices to disturb their lipid balance which can lead to heart problems. This is why staying away from them is a good choice for your health.

#3 Risk of Kidney problems

Soft drinks are laced with phosphoric acids which have harmful effects on our health. They are responsible for urinary disturbances which can lead to chronic kidney issues.

More so, the same acids can also cause kidney stone if soft drinks are consumed on a regular basis. Non-cola beverages are fine as they don’t have any major health risks and they should be consumed.

However, soft drinks have proven to be a major risk factor behind chronic kidney diseases. So, you know what is harmful and what should not be consumed to keep your kidney in healthy state. Read also the salty food’s that causes kidney problems.

#4 Cancer risk

No soft drinks are free form added colors and preservatives. They are extremely harmful to health and even can lead to cancer.

The color which looks so seducing is actually a cancer-causing agent. The same kind of risk is also linked with orange-flavored drinks due to the presence of a risky chemical.

To top it all, the very plastic bottles and cans these drinks are packed in are a source of cancer-causing chemicals. Clearly, drinking soft drinks on a regular basis is something you must get rid of at the earliest else a lot of problems can happen.

#5 Asthma and COPD risks

Soft drinks can cause allergies in the airway. If you drink them heavily, the risk of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) will surely become higher.

The main reason is the presence of sugar in high amount that is responsible for causing allergies in the airways leading to inflammation. There are some chemicals in soft drinks linked to asthma.

Even if these problems did not strike you for consuming too much of coals, they can always put you at greater risks for sure. So, staying away from them is the only solution if you want to remain healthy and disease-free.

#6 Risk of Osteoporosis and bone fractures

Coals can bring too much phosphate in the blood. This can disturb the calcium metabolism essential in the body which is essential for healthy bones.

The same problem happens when we consume too much of coffee or tea as caffeine in them can hinder mineral absorption.

Bone loss can also result in those people who consume soft drink in excess amount. They should eat more of calcium-rich food to keep the levels balanced. Read also the signs of calcium deficiency.

#7 More risk of obesity

It is a well known fact that consuming more soft drinks leads to obesity dramatically. Harvard researchers found that the risk of obesity has been increased to 1.6 times to those people who drank soft drinks compared to those who don’t.

But recent study shows that it affects particularly waistline of our body m to expand nearly three times more than those people who didnt drink cool drinks that often. Read also the top 10 reasons for obesity.

#8 Risk of Premature aging

The phosphates that is being used in most of the cold drinks has been found the main cause to speed up the aging process. This creates premature wrinkles on skin and the other old age related health complications to occur in early age itself. Check the easy home remedies for wrinkles.

#9 Risk of Premature birth in pregnant women

A study conducted on pregnant women who drank more artificially sweetened cool drinks during their pregnancy gave premature birth to their babies.

It was thought that the chemicals in the artificial sweeteners changed the bones of the woman to give premature birth. So the woman are warbed not to take cool drinks more often during their pregnancy time. Read also 10+ foods that need to be avoided during your pregnancy.

#10 Risk of early puberty

A study has been conducted on school going 9 to 14 year old girls found that those who drank more than one can of soft drinks a day had their period earlier than those who didn’t drink the soft drinks. This means that these girls are at higher risk of getting cancer and other health complications.

#11 Risk of hyperactivity

It has been found that the cool drawings affects the body and alters the protein level in the brain which leads to hyperactivity Behavior.

#12 Risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

A common sweetener which is used in soft drinks is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which is made from corn starch. This fructose can only be processed by the liver.

If this is consumed in excess it causes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease which is associated with high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Since this fructose is cheaper than normal sugar this is commonly used as a sweetener in the cool drinks.

#13 Risk of sleep disorders

The soft drinks contains caffeine which stimulates the production of adrenaline. And this adrenaline helps to keep you work for more hours without sleep. This can be a good news when you need to complete any deadlines at work.

But if it has become a regular feature it really wasn’t your health. When the caffeine is consumed in excess it interrupts your sleep and digestion and causes many problems.

#14 Risk of Violent Behavior

A study conducted on teenagers found that people who drank two cans of soft drinks a week behave more aggressive and violent towards their friends to those who drank less.

Also it is found that teenagers who drank soft drinks more often are more prone to get addicted to alcohol and smoking.

#15 Risk of Tooth erosion

The sugar in colas can invite bacteria and then help in formation of acids. This very acid can weaken the enamel and enhance chances of tooth decay. Since kids and children’s enamel is not developed fully, their tooth decay risk is always greater.

Even adolescent are at similar risk of tooth erosion due to heavy use of colas. If that ever leads to tooth loss, you can consult a dentist, as soon as possible.

#16 Risk of Alzheimer

Scienctists conducted a test on the rats found that the mice which had more sugary drinks in their diet had worse memories than those mice without added sugar in their diet.

So which drink can be taken instead of soft drinks

You can go for plain water – nothing can replace the plain water (H2O). It is always good to go with water instead of this Sugary soda drinks.

Try some infused water – you can go for any cucumber water or lemon water to give a flavor to the normal water

Go for natural sources – Go for natural drinls like coconut water, real fruit juice minus the added sugars are some of the healthy options if you want more flavors

Sparkling water – you can try drinking sparkling water jazzed up with a squeeze of lemon and a dash of Herb’s.

Try the yogurt drinks – You can try like yogurt drinks like yogurt smoothies, buttermilk etc which can quench your thirst in a healthier way.

So, all this while without knowing the harmful effects of cold drinks you were drinking it. Now after knowing the harmful effects of cold drinks hope you will stay away from soft drinks and lead an enriching life by changing to healthier drinks mentioned above.

Author bio:

Sawoni Chowdhury is an aficionado of writing. She is an expert writer and blogger and shares her views and opinions on a range of topics such as Lifestyle, Business, Entertainment and lot more.

Sources:

1. https://www.healthy-drinks.net/6-harmful-effects-of-drinking-coca-cola-coke-or-pepsi/
2. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/nutrition/11-reasons-to-stop-drinking-fizzy-drinks/amp/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1829363/
4. Choi HK, Curhan G. Soft drinks, fructose consumption, and the risk of gout in men: prospective cohort study. BMJ. 2008;336:309-12
5. Schulze MB, Manson JE, Ludwig DS, et al. Sugar-sweetened beverages, weight gain, and incidence of type 2 diabetes in young and middle-aged women. JAMA. 2004;292:927-34.