Table of contents:
- Some facts regarding soft drinks
- The dangers of soft drinks for health
- Soft drinks and obesity
- Soft drinks and diabetes
- Alternative to soft drinks
Soft drinks, aka soft drinks, are now available in various variants and are very easy to find. It's not uncommon for soft drinks to be one of the mandatory menus that you must have at your lunch hour. Examples of soft drinks include soda, packaged juices, packaged tea and coffee, energy drinks, and drinks that claim to replace the body's electrolytes. Currently, research related to soft drinks is increasingly being carried out, because it turns out that even though it looks trivial and some that seem "healthy", soft drinks, especially those with added sugar, can increase a person's risk of developing degenerative diseases.
Some facts regarding soft drinks
- Approximately 11% of the calories you consume can come from soft drinks.
- Every 350 ml soft drink consumed by children can increase their risk of suffering from obesity by 60%
- In children aged one to five years, consumption of soft drinks, especially soft drinks, increases their risk of suffering from dental caries by 80-100%.
- To burn the calories produced from a can of soda, it takes a 25-minute walk at a moderate pace.
- One study shows that those who consume soft drinks tend to have poor overall dietary quality.
- Those who regularly consume soft drinks at least one or more times per day are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes up to 26% greater when compared to those who rarely consume soft drinks.
- Consumption of one soft drink bottle per day can increase body weight up to 11 kg in a year.
- Based on research in America, 1 in 4 people get at least 200 additional calories from soft drinks every day. And 5% of people consume at least 567 calories from soft drinks, this is the equivalent of 4 cans of soda.
The dangers of soft drinks for health
One of the things you should pay attention to when deciding to consume soft drinks is what food additives have been added to your drink. Sweeteners, dyes, preservatives are some types of food additives that may be in your drinks. But among those ingredients, sweeteners are the ones in the spotlight when it comes to health.
Sweeteners, both natural and artificial, can have a bad effect on your health. And sometimes you don't realize how much sugar you are consuming at the same time as your drink.
Soft drinks and obesity
Consumption of soft drinks can lead to weight gain because of their sugar levels which sometimes go unnoticed. For example, most 500 ml packs have a sugar content of 40-50 grams (or the equivalent of 4-5 tablespoons). According to the Balanced Nutrition Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health, the recommended daily consumption of sugar is 4 tablespoons. By drinking one bottle of soft drinks, you have used up your ration of sugar consumption in a day and at the same time have increased your calorie intake by around 150-200 calories. The added calories of course increase your risk of gaining weight.
It's easy to gain weight from soft drinks, because you don't realize you're consuming extra calories. In contrast to solid or solid foods, where you tend to be "aware" that you are consuming something. In comparison, one bottle of soft drink can have the same number of calories as 100 grams of white rice, or 100 grams of fresh lean meat. The three types of food contain the same calories, approximately 150-200 calories.
Soft drinks and diabetes
Apart from obesity, type 2 diabetes is also a type of disease that is often associated with soft drinks. A research related to health, The Nurses' Health Study examined 90,000 women for 8 years. Based on this study, those who consumed at least one or more soft drinks containing added sugar had a twofold greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future than those who rarely consumed soft drinks. Another study, the Framingham Heart Study, also found that those who consume one or more soft drinks are at risk of having difficulty regulating blood sugar levels and are 50% more likely to develop metabolic syndrome.
Alternative to soft drinks
- Choose mineral water. Mineral water contains no calories and can definitely get rid of your thirst.
- If you are bored with mineral water that has no taste, then you can add fruit juice (such as lemon or orange) to your mineral water.
- If you want to drink soft drinks, choose a type of drink that is low in calories or low in sugar. Also pay attention to the sugar content per serving.
- You can try infused water, mix the fruit slices in your drink bottle and put in the refrigerator, you will get a fresh, fruity drink and almost no calories.
