Ingesting too much of some common ingredients in soda could cause kidney problems and other health issues. Since the ingredients vary with the type of soda, the health risks change along with the product. Many popular soft drinks contain compounds that cause kidney stones to form, while ingredients in other sodas could prevent kidney stone formation. Some of the safest sodas are diet drinks, but drink lemonade or plain water for better kidney health.
Kidney Disease
If your kidneys function properly, about 200 quarts of blood filters through them every day, and your kidneys excrete about two quarts of urine. Kidneys generate hormones that control the production of new red blood cells and help to regulate blood pressure. Tiny filters called nephrons separate waste products from the blood and return electrolytes such as phosphorus, sodium and potassium back to the bloodstream in the correct amounts. Drinking too much soda does not cause kidney failure, according to Columbia University, but chemicals and minerals in soda can place extra strain on already damaged kidneys and hasten the progress of kidney disease.
Effects of Soda
Drinking two or more sodas daily increases your risk of chronic kidney disease, according to an article published in the Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource in 2010. Habitual over-consumption exposes the nephrons in your kidneys to stressful amounts of caffeine, sodium and other minerals. Increased blood pressure from too much caffeine can damage the capillaries in your kidney's nephrons. Too much potassium or phosphorous can overwork damaged kidneys and lead to other serious problems including heart arrythmia. Combining high caffeine intake with common pain relievers such as aspirin and ibuprofen can cause analgesic nephropathy, the destruction of kidney nephrons gradually over years of abuse, according to Rush University Medical Center.
Kidney Stones
Excess calcium precipitating out of your urine can form kidney stones in your urinary system. When kidney stones jar loose, they usually work through your urinary tract within three days, accompanied by agonizing pain. If you drink two or more colas daily, you run a higher risk of developing kidney stones. Oxalate in colas promotes the formation of calcium oxalate, a common component of kidney stones. Just cutting back on colas won't prevent kidney stones. Staying well-hydrated moves waste out of your body before deposits form. Drink plain water regularly throughout the day, a total of at least six to eight glasses.
Soda Benefits
Sodas contain smaller amounts of essential sodium, potassium and phosphorous than many other healthy foods. Other ingredients in non-cola sodas could prevent some kidney problems if you drink one or two daily. Diet sodas can contain useful levels of citrate, an acid in citrus fruit that blocks kidney stone formation. Not all diet sodas provide health benefits. In three test trials in 2009, six healthy adults drank one of three test beverages exclusively for five days. Urine analysis showed neither risk nor benefit from either the diet or cola sodas tested, when compared to the effects of bottled water, according to results published in the "Journal of Endourology."
References
- National Kidney & Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse; The Kidneys and How They Work; February 2009
- Go Ask Alice!; Could Drinking Too Much Soda Lead to Osteoporosis Or Kidney Failure?; December 1998
- Mayo Clinic; Soda Consumption Linked to Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, Other Health Concerns; August 2010
- Rush University Medical Center: Analgesic Nephropathy
- University of Michigan Health System; Stay Hydrated This Summer to Prevent Painful Kidney Stones, U-M Doctor Advises; Katie Gazella; June 2007
- "Journal of Endourology"; Effect of Soda Consumption on Urinary Stone Risk Parameters; Corey M. Passman, et al.; March 2009
Member Comments