Today I’d like to talk to you about soda. Sodas are bad news. Data from the School of Harvard Public Health shows that drinking just one soda per day –one 12oz can or bottle –can cause, on average, an extra pound of weight every 4 years, in addition to serious health issues such as heart attack and diabetes.
A study was done on 40,000 men over two decades. The study found that men who drank one soda per day had a 20 percent higher risk of having a heart attack or dying from a heart attack than men who rarely drank soda. The men who drank two sodas per day increased their risk by 42 percent. The group of men who drank 3 sodas was found to have an increased risk of heart attack by 69 percent over the course of these two decades. Is that a risk worth taking for a sugary beverage?
Many people believe that the risk comes from the sugar, which makes diet soda okay to drink, but that is not the case. As a matter of fact, in another study, those who drank diet soda also had a 40 percent increased risk of a heart attack
Women who drink just three sodas per week lose 4 percent bone mass because of the flavoring in it called phosphoric acid. The phosphoric acid is so acidic that the bones leach out calcium in order to neutralize that acidity, and that leads to an increased risk of osteoporosis. Women who drink diet soda also increase their triglycerides, which is the fat that clogs up your arteries and leads to heart attack.
Women who drink diet soda are also at risk for metabolic syndrome, which is a condition of increased blood pressure, a high blood sugar level, excess abdominal fat and abnormal cholesterol levels. These abnormal levels increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Drinking soda can increase your risk of heart attack, cause you to gain weight, and put you at risk for diabetes, increased triglycerides, and osteoporosis. The next time you reach for a sugary (or diet) soda, go for a cold glass of water instead; you’ll live longer, stay slimmer, and feel better.
Until next time,
Dr. Mache Seibel, Founder of My Menopause Magazine http://bit.ly/MyMenoMag
Professor, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Founder My Menopause Magazine
(617) 916-1880
PS: Find more information of this type in My Menopause Magazine, available for the iPad and iPhone in the Apple Newsstand. http://bit.ly/MyMenoMag
