Sugar sweetened beverages may not seem so sweet to you when you consider their harmful effects on
your health.
Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages which includes soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks, sweetened teas, and energy drinks is a major source of calories. A typical 12-ounce can of regular soda beverage contains 9 ½ teaspoons of added sugars. Similarly, a bottle of 20-ounce contains the same sugar level as it is in 16 teaspoons of sugar. However, it must be mentioned that contrary to popular beliefs, even the fruit juices are almost as bad as consuming direct sugar. The sugar content contain is same, and the amounts of antioxidants contained in juices fail to negate the ill-effects of the dissolved sugar in them.
There is no doubt in the fact that attractive advertisement campaigns have increased the consumption of such beverages in the recent times but scientifically, it is proven that Sugary drinks are one of the main causes of fattening. It is so because calories in sugar when dissolved in liquid do not get registered by the brain, the way as calories from solid sweet foods do. This is the prime reason why you end up consuming more calories by drinking soda.
The consumption of Sugary drinks can cause some serious health issues.
- Obesity: In comparison to solid foods consumption of Sugary beverages contributes to weight gain more as the body fails to compensate for calories gained from the beverages by reducing calorie intake from other food articles.
- Type 2 Diabetes: Consuming even a can per day results into a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The risks are even greater for young adults among whom Sugary drinks are quite popular.
- Tooth decay: It is a known fact that the consumption of sugary drinks is one of the reasons behind cavities in children and adults alike. Untreated cavities can result in infection, pain and tooth loss.
- Heart disease: In various scientific research on food habits it has been found that consuming sugary beverages on a regular basis increases the risk of having a heart attack or dying from a heart attack by 20%. A similar study in women found a similar sugary drink–heart disease relation.
Perhaps, it can be concluded that sugary drinks are one of the prime reasons behind the increase in such diseases among people belonging to different age groups.
