10 Harmful Side Effects of Drinking Soft drinks

Soft drinks are perhaps one of the most popular drinks consumed throughout the world. Many of us are aware of the fact that a soft drink does not have any nutritionally beneficial component. But still, everybody enjoys a soft drink once in a while.

Soft drinks basically consist of filtered water and refined sugars. An excessive intake of a soft drink may cause a number of serious health conditions.

Some of the health hazards caused due to soft drinks are:

Heartburn:

Excessive soft drink consumption may also lead to a condition of acidity and heartburn.

Dehydration:

Another health problem with soft drinks is they act as dehydrating diuretics. Soft drinks contain both caffeine and sugar which are responsible for dehydration in the body.

Harmful Effects on the Liver:

Consumption of too many soft drinks may also increase the risk of liver cirrhosis.

High Caffeine Conten:

Another health hazard of consuming soft drink is that it contains a high content of caffeine which causes irritability, restlessness, tension, insomnia, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disturbance, excessive urination, irregular heartbeat and other side effects.

Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factor:

Soft drink consumption increases the risk of developing metabolic syndromes such as high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol and insulin resistance.

Diabetes Mellitu:

Better known as Type 2 diabetes, this is caused due to the excessive intake of soft drink which increases the calories leading to weight gain and thereby increases the risk of diabetes.

You will be surprised to know that drinking soda reduces the body's ability to process metabolic functions properly.

Weight Gain:

Many people don't realize the number of extra calories they consume in what they drink. It will be interesting for you to know that drinking a single 330 ml bottle of sugary drinks per day is equivalent to more than 0.45 Kgs of weight gain every month while a reduced intake of sweetened beverages leads to a reduced body mass index.

Osteoporosis:

A frequent consumption of soft drinks increases the risk of osteoporosis. In children, a high consumption of soda poses a risk for impaired calcification of growing bones.

Kidney Damage:

Another health hazard related to soft drinks is its ability to increase the risk of kidney problems. Many researchers have also proved that large quantities of cola result in enhanced kidney stone formation.

Dental Caries and Erosion:

Soda or soft drink beverages eat and dissolve the tooth enamel and are responsible for tooth decay. Many dental experts advise the consumption of less soda especially between meals to prevent tooth decay and dental erosion.

Increased Blood Pressure:

Experts have reasons to believe that the overconsumption of fructose, particularly in the form of soft drinks, leads to an increase in blood pressure which as a result can cause hypertension.