An Investigation into Why Soda is Bad

I can't lie; I still kinda love the taste of soda. I understand that's because of its sugar content, but that doesn't change the fact that it tastes really good to me. I know better than to keep drinking it, but I've resorted to making graphs to remind me how poisonous it is.

The tldr of why soda is bad:

• soda has too much sugar, and too much sugar makes you fat and unhealthy
• soda is acidic, and too much acidity can destroy tooth enamel and bone density

Soda has too much sugar

In short, sugar makes you fat and unhealthy, which is something I already knew. Liquid calories don't trigger the same satiety mechanisms as solid foods, so soda is easy to over-consume without much thinking, especially since its become a standard among meals outside of the home.

A quick rundown of the bad effects of too much sugar:

• Higher blood pressure
• higher cholesterol and triglyceride levels
• elevated blood glucose levels
• insulin spikes
• inflammation
• oxidative stress

I've seen enough graphs about the subject, so I wanted to make something different, and thus came up with this water diagram. Water is made up of particles, after all, and when you think about the amount of sugar in something like a 12 oz can of Coca-Cola, you realize that something like 15% of soda is pure sugar....

Soda is acidic

Now, the good news is that our body tightly regulates our pH balance, so what we eat is not likely going to effect our balances. That being said, there's nothing wrong with understanding your acid levels, and maybe even limiting it, especially in the case of our teeth and bones. Regular soda drinkers have a higher risk of periodontal disease, because:

• Phosphoric acid in soda can lead to lower bone mineral density
• Acids and sugars in soda erode tooth enamel
• Calcium depletion from bones due to high phosphate levels
• Increased risk of fractures and osteoporosis in habitual soda drinkers

That's not to mention the negative effects soda can have on those victim to acid reflux (ya boy)...drinking too much acid can relax the lower esophageal sphincter, and if the LES relaxes too often or for too long, stomach acid can flow back into the esophagus, causing acid reflux. And trust me, having GERD sucks.

I saw this research study that analyzed the pH balances of a bunch of drinks found in the US - soda, fruit juices, water - and came up with the following charts.

Just to summarize the fundings, the study, which test 380 beverages, found that:

• 39% of the beverages tested (150/380) were considered extremely erosive (pH < 3.0)
• 54% (205/380) were considered erosive (pH 3.0 to 3.99)
• 7% (25/380) were considered minimally erosive (pH ≥ 4.0)
• The most acidic beverages tested with a pH < 2.4 were:
  • lemon juice (pH 2.25),
  • RC Cola (pH 2.32),
  • Coca-Cola Classic (2.37),
  • Coca-Cola Cherry (pH 2.38),
  • Pepsi (pH 2.39)

Stay safe out there, y'all.