Soft Drinks Reportedly Linked to Health Problems

NewsMax
Dec. 08, 2005

The U.S. ranks No. 1 in the world in the consumption of soft drinks, with the average American drinking 150 quarts a year – but experts say these beverages can pose serious health risks.

One recent study found that women who drink one or more sugar-sweetened soft drink a day are twice as likely to develop diabetes as women who drink fewer than one per month.

Even when such factors as weight, diet and lifestyle are considered, women drinking sugary soda are still 1.3 times as likely to develop the disease.

The Organic Consumers Association, in an article titled "The Health Hazards of Drinking Coca-Cola and Other Soft Drinks," extensively quoted experts who have warned of the dangers of these beverages:

# "It appears that increased soft drink consumption is a major factor that contributes to osteoporosis," write Michael Murray and Joseph Pizzorno in "The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine."

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"Soft drinks have long been suspected of leading to lower calcium levels and higher phosphate levels in the blood. When phosphate levels are high and calcium levels are low, calcium is pulled out of the bones. The phosphate content of soft drinks like Coca-Cola and Pepsi is very high, and they contain virtually no calcium.

"This situation ... ultimately leads to poor bone mineralization, which explains the greater risk of broken bones in children who consume soft drinks."

# "Soft drinks are the single greatest source of caffeine in children's diets; a 12-ounce can of cola contains about 45 milligrams but the amounts in more potent soft drinks can exceed 100 milligrams – a level approaching that found in coffee," according to Marion Nestle, author of "Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health."

"Soft drinks have replaced milk in the diets of many American children as well as adults. School purchases reflect such trends. From 1985 to 1997, school districts decreased the amounts of milk they bought by nearly 30 percent and increased their purchases of carbonated sodas ... "Sugar and acid in soft drinks so easily dissolve tooth enamel."

# "The acidity of cola beverages ... is about the same as vinegar. The sugar content masks the acidity, and children little realize they are drinking this strange mixture of phosphoric acid, sugar, caffeine, coloring, and flavoring matter," according to a nutritionist at the Naval Medical Research Institute.

# "One liter of an aspartame-sweetened beverage can produce about 56 milligrams of methanol. When several of these beverages are consumed in a short period of time (one day, perhaps), as much as 250 milligrams of methanol are dumped into the bloodstream, or 32 times the EPA limit," writes Carol Simontacchi, author of "The Crazy Makers: How the Food Industry Is Destroying Our Brains and Harming Our Children."

# The aspartame contained in many diet soft drinks, when consumed in large quantities, may contribute to the development of brain tumors, according to Samuel S. Epstein, M.D., author of "The Safe Shopper's Bible."

He said: "Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is used extensively in soft drink containers. PET bottles can release small amounts of dimethyl terephthalate into foods and beverages. Although the National Cancer Institute claims that dimethyl terephthalate is noncarcinogenic, these results have been questioned. Some experts believe this compound to be carcinogenic."

# "Aspartame contains methyl or wood alcohol, which can affect fetal brain development," according to Dr. Earl Mindell's "New Vitamin Bible."

"Twenty-one percent of the sugar in the American diet comes from soft drinks! That's more than just an unhealthy consumption of empty calories. It is a dangerous overload of caffeine and potentially hazardous, nutrient-depleting additives ...

"Cola drinks can interact adversely with antacids, possibly causing constipation, calcium loss, hypertension, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and kidney damage."

# Those consuming at least one cup of a caffeine-containing soft drink are more prone to PMS – and the more caffeine they consume, the more severe their PMS symptoms, claims Jean Carper, author of "Food: Your Miracle Medicine."

# "Tooth loss, periodontal disease, and gingivitis can be problems, especially with a high phosphorus intake, particularly from soft drinks," according to Elson M. Haas, M.D., author of "The Detox Diet."

# "High in phosphorous and phosphoric acid, [soft drinks] infiltrate bodily fluids and corrode stomach linings, upset the alkaline-acid balance of the kidneys, and eat away at your liver," said Barnet Meltzer, M.D., author of "Food Swings."