Soda Pop And Health: The Overlooked Link

Soda pop and health are most definitely related.

You may be surprised to learn that soft drinks actually alter your body's chemistry. This is due to the ingredients.

The fact is that your body works to keep it's pH in balance. It does not function well if it is too acidic and the same if it is too alkaline.

Your body will use minerals to keep things in balance. If you consume acidic foods for instance, your body will release minerals into the blood stream to neutralize the effects of the acid. All this is done without any active attention from you.

This is very relevant because phosphoric acid is an ingredient in soft drinks. It is there to provide an acidic condition so that the carbon dioxide can be instilled more easily without a lot of pressure.

So...

When you consume soda pop, you have introduced a highly acidic substance. I remember a school experiment where we dissolved a piece of steak in coke. Very successfully, I might add.

Your body uses phosphorus and calcium to build and repair bone. It works to keep the balance perfectly. So when you introduce the phosphoric acid from soda pop, it must be neutralized.

The minerals used to neutralize are calcium, sodium, magnesium and potassium. First what is in the blood is used. If this is not enough, the body must release more.

Here is where you see the soda pop and health effects. Calcium is released from bone to correct the acidic condition. But how much? That is just it. The body will release calcium in anticipation of more acid coming in. So, it often releases too much.

Now, this excess must also be dealt with. Some excess calcium is excreted in the urine. If this is all the excess, great. But, more than likely more calcium must be handled.

So it is deposited in the body. The deposits in the kidney cause kidney stones. Deposits in the joints lead to joint disorders including osteoporosis, bunions, gout and bone spurs. And the deposits in the arteries would be calcified plaque.

The loss of potassium and magnesium used to neutralize the phosphoric acid can adversely effect the heart, leading to heart disease. These two minerals are key players in heart health.

The other ingredients also have soda pop and health effects...

The sugar causes your body to react with the release of insulin. The glucose balance must be also kept. It is a strain on the gland to constantly meet the demand. Do you think the trend of Diabetes could be reversed simply by limiting sources of pure sugar? I do.

Then there is caffeine. An ingredient that causes addiction and product loyalty it seems as well. Without the sugar and caffeine one would certainly be able to taste instantly that this drink is not to be consumed.

Please do not consider the diet drinks a viable substitute. Aspartame has its own list of side effects and adverse health effects.

What you can do...

Stop drinking soda pop and then watch for the improvements in how you feel. Find out how soda pop and health are connected for you. I would suggest just cutting it out of your diet in one swell swoop instead of cutting down. After all, how likely are you to just have a sip? No, it is probably easier to do it fast.

For more information on the secrets of the food industry, I suggest reading the e-book by Astrid Lasco. Click here to read my review. You will find out what ingredients to avoid to maximize your health.

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