An icy cold soda can be a refreshing treat on a hot day, but soda contains many teaspoons of added sugar and other ingredients that may negatively affect your health. There are numerous benefits to cutting your soda intake and replacing those fluids with more nutritious choices like water or unsweetened tea. Walter Willett reports in his book, "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating," that up to 25 percent of the average adult's beverage consumption is soda, but cutting it out of your diet can positively impact your health.
Reduced Sugar Intake
The average 12-oz. serving of soda contains up to 9 tsp. of added sugar, which is over the daily limit for most people. Willett says that there are several health conditions that may be avoided simply by cutting your soda and sugar intake. When you consume too much sugar, your pancreas has to work harder and produces more insulin, so restricting your intake of sugary sodas can help you reduce your risk of diabetes. Diets that include several sodas a day also put you at greater risk of heart disease, something you can help prevent by avoiding soda.
Weight Loss
The calories in a 12-oz. serving of soda are considered empty calories because they do not supply any nutrition. Over time, drinking several sodas a day can lead to unhealthy weight gain. The opposite is true if you cut soda out of your diet. If you are used to drinking three or four sodas a day, you can cut hundreds of calories from your diet just by switching to a calorie-free drink like plain water. Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight decreases your chances of many negative health conditions, including obesity, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Reduced Risk of Bone Fractures
The phosphoric acid in many types of soda cause bone damage by leaching calcium out of them and making them weaker and more susceptible to damage. The Harvard University Gazette says that just two sodas a day can cause significant bone weakening among teenage girls, which can have harmful effects as they get older as well. Bone mass is built during adolescence and early adulthood and begins to decline after that. Replacing soda with milk is an important way to help protect your bones no matter what your age.
Leaves Room for Other Nutrients
According to Bonnie Sanders Polin, Frances Towner Giedt and the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, authors of "Cleveland Clinic Healthy Heart Lifestyle Guide and Cookbook," diets high in soda consumption leave less room for healthier drinks, such as 100 percent fruit juice, milk and water. Filling up on soda often results in a lower intake of fruits, vegetables and grains, as well. Eliminating soda from your diet will leave you hungry for more nutritious foods and drinks that benefit your health.
References
- "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating"; Walter Willett; 2005
- "The Harvard University Gazette"; Soda Pop Increases Risk of Bone Breaks; William J. Cromie; June 2000
- "Cleveland Clinic Healthy Heart Lifestyle Guide and Cookbook"; Bonnie Sanders Polin, Frances Towner Giedt and the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center; 2007
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