You have probably seen the experiments of cleaning dirty surfaces with Coke. If you can use that drink to wash a car and make it shiny or dissolve rubber items, what drinking coke does to your body and what are the side effects of drinking coca-cola every day?
The harmful effects of soft drinks on the human body have been proved by numerous investigations. Sugary drinks and obesity is the best-known cause: carbonated beverages aggravate hunger causing the craving for sugary and fat foods. As a result, these extra calories lead to excess weight, liver diseases, and diabetes.
But are all sweet beverages harmful? How much sugar is bad in a drink? What are the other effects of carbonated drinks on the body? There are many related questions to answer. We’ll try to cover some of them to help you build healthier habits.
What do researchers say?
A large amount of sugary drinks leads to the blood supply decline in different body parts and tissues. With time, it results in cardiac diseases, heart attacks, and strokes. It was proved by the research by Copenhagen University. 12 males, who consumed 225 g of sugar daily participated in the investigation. In two weeks, their blood flow was by 17% less effective.
In general, if you drink 0.5 l of Coke occasionally and lead the healthy lifestyle most of the time, it won’t seriously harm your health. However, if you drink it regularly, it seriously affects body systems functioning. The men participating in the experiment needed two weeks for recreation.
Сarbonated drinks side effects
As you can see, obesity is not the only reason to worry if you have too many soft drinks with too much sugar in your meals plan. The list of side effects of drinking coke and other synthetic drinks is much longer:
- formation of renal gravel;
- bones fragility and deformation;
- muscle weakness, spasms, and muscular tissue deformation;
- pancreatic cancer risks;
- diabetes and even insulin tolerance;
- gastritis;
- avitaminosis;
- apathy or anxiety;
- skin issues;
- tooth enamel erosion;
- stomach and duodenal ulcer;
- the risk of a range of cancer types.
Drinks you should forget about
By now, you must be quite impressed by these sugary drinks facts. Time to make a sugary drinks list and think about healthy alternatives. These are not sodas only, and you don’t have to forget about those beverages forever. Nevertheless, leaving room for cheat meals requires a healthy diet in the first place.
Fruit juice
Fruits are rich in fibers, but the juice isn’t. Even if it is natural, the concentration of sugar remains high: 31 g of sugar in apple juice, 36 g in grape juice. Canned juice from a supermarket is full of preservatives. Eat fruit instead.
Cold tea
The tea is a useful drink rich in antioxidants. Bottled tea that is sold in shops, however, are not on the list of healthy drinks: one bottle contains over 30 g of sugar. Make the tea at home and chill it, it isn’t difficult.
Flavored coconut water
Coconut water is electrolyte-rich fluid. 0.5 l of the drink covers daily maintenance in minerals. It is a perfect drink for hot weather. When you buy coconut water, pay attention to the composition of the drink. Get the one without sweeteners.
Energy drinks
Besides containing 25 g of sugar in each can, energy drinks are not useful for your body for other reasons as well. In particular, they increase the levels of blood pressure and stress hormone. Drink a cup of coffee instead.
Sweet yogurts
Flavored yogurts are not healthy foods, unlike the majority thinks. A standard serving contains around 25 g of sugar of different origin – glucose, fructose, fruit puree, and juice. It affects the efficiency of Bifidus bacteria. Replace it with natural yogurt without fillers.
Lactose-free milk
It turns out that this drink that has become so popular lately is not always that healthy. Soy, almond, rice, and all other similar kinds of milk have a specific taste. Milk with different flavors is tastier, but it is more of a sugar bomb than useful milk.
Tonic
Gin and tonic duo isn’t less harmful than rum and coke. A standard serving contains 128 calories – that’s 32 g of sugar, an equivalent to eight teaspoons. The next time you order a drink, ask for sparkling water, it is sugar-free.
Coffee drinks
It is difficult to imagine our lives without coffee-to-go drinks. Besides classic espresso and latte, you are offered a huge selection of drinks with syrups, whipped cream, marshmallows, chocolate crumbs, etc. Although these tasty things may be difficult to resist, you get three to six times more sugar.
Vitamin water
It is almost the same that drinking water with sugar – nice flavors and tastes don’t come from nowhere, and artificial sweeteners won’t make it useful. Well, at least there are vitamins. If you want flavored water, add some slices of lemon or other fruits or mint leaves.
Lemonades
If we are speaking about water with lemon, it may be sugar-free. If you are buying a drink or ordering in a cafe, it certainly contains sugar syrup or powder composition. Again, it is better to make lemonade at home.
Smoothie
This other food specialty that has recently become popular among millennials is also a bit tricky. Smoothies are made of fruits, and fruits contain sugar. You can consume up to 53 g in a single serving. Drinking smoothies after a workout can lead to a blood glucose level burst. Prepare smoothies on your own to balance the sweet and non-sweet ingredients.
