Last week, Health Watch readers discovered the new way diet soda is putting their health at risk. That doesn’t make regular soda any safer. In fact, British pharmacist Niraj Naik is speaking out to show the public how dangerous drinking it really is.1
The infographic he created reveals what drinking one can of Coca-Cola does to your body in just one hour… Minute by minute.
Some of the science behind it gets pretty complex… But here are the most important things you need to know:
After 10 minutes: The whopping 10 teaspoons of sugar in one can of soda should make you vomit. But you don’t. That’s because of the phosphoric acid… It’s in there to make sure you keep this stuff down.
After 20 minutes: Blood sugar spikes. This causes insulin to shoot up along with it. Your liver responds by working extra hard to turn all this sugar to fat. It builds up in the places that make your jeans tough to button. But even worse, of course, it’s dangerous.
After 45 minutes: Your body produces dopamine. The sugar and caffeine make you feel happy…for the moment. This is also how heroin works, by the way. It’s why giving up soda can be one of the hardest changes to make for a person trying to clean up their diet.
After 60 minutes: Now you’re in the middle of a sugar crash. Plus, you’re dehydrated. That’s the result of phosphoric acid binding the calcium, magnesium, and zinc in your lower intestine. The caffeine content makes you have to urinate… And when you do, your urine contains that calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Not to mention any water that was in the soda. That means you’re getting rid of the nutrients your body needs and hanging on to the stuff you don’t.
Image Credit: Medical News Today
But Coke isn’t the only sugary beverage you have to worry about. Sugar-sweetened beverages—including sports drinks and iced teas—kill about 184,000 people a year.
They increase your risk of developing lethal diseases. Diabetes is at the top of the list. Recently, a team of Cambridge researchers tracked the diets of 25,000 people for 11 years. They found that for every 5% increase in daily calories from sugary drinks, subjects’ risk for developing diabetes increased 18%.
Drinking soda can increase your risk of lung disease by nearly 80%. And it only takes two weeks for it to wreck your heart health. You can thank the high fructose corn syrup for that. Plus, it makes your cells age faster… And steals years from your life.
It can be a hard habit to kick… But doing so may help save your life. There are simple tricks for eliminating it from your diet. Opt for water or seltzer with a squeeze of lemon. Or if you want more flavor, throw in a few ripe peach slices and mint sprigs.
If you’re worried about missing out on caffeine… Try cold brew or regular iced coffee. Just make sure it’s organic. And skip the sugar. Drinking coffee can deliver major health benefits. Like a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s, diabetes, heart disease, and more… All without the deadly drawbacks of a sugary soda.
Do you have a healthy drink recipe for replacing soda? Let us know in the comments, below.
In Good Health,
Angela Salerno
Publisher, INH Health Watch
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References:
1http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/297600.php