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Sodas, Pop & Energy Drinks

"Just 16 mcg per day of 4-methylimidazole is enough to pose a cancer threat, and most popular brown colas (diet & regular) contain 200 mcg per 20 oz. bottle."

  

The average American drinks 300 bottles of soda per year, each of which contains between 7-14 teaspoons of sugar.  Most sodas contain no nutritional value - they simply contain empty calories.  

Sodas and energy drinks that are low or zero-calorie are not much better, and typically contain artificial sweeteners that add to their health depleting effects.  

Did you know...

  • Drinking 1 soft drink each day increases the risk of type 2 diabetes by 20%
  • Soda contributes to heart, liver & kidney disease, cancer, & dementia
  • Soda contributes to osteoporosis, reducing the calcium supply of the body
  • 1 can of soda contains enough sugar for an entire day’s sugar calorie needs

Energy drinks also contain the addition of chemicals and stimulants to artificially stimulate the central nervous system.  Most of the vitamins and minerals that have been added are synthetic.

Energy Drinks - Just Another Soda

Energy drinksMany of us have done it...  We have a long drive through the night ahead of us and need to stay awake, or we have a test we need to study for.  We guzzle a few energy drinks, and voila!  We made it!  The odd energy drink is not the problem (even though a good quality strong coffee is a much better alternative), but for many people, energy drinks play a much greater role when drank on a daily basis.

The average 16 oz. can of energy drink can contain 13 teaspoons of sugar and the caffeine equivalent of 4 or more colas.  Despite what flashy energy drink labels say, there is very little difference between a soda and an energy drink.  Most of them are glorified sodas containing a different array of chemicals.  The main difference is the use of a stimulant such as caffeine.  If an energy drink advertises "no caffeine" it is because other stimulants are used instead such as taurine, guarana, ephedra, or similar substances.  The end result is artificial stimulation of the body, regardless of which stimulant is used.  Energy drinks can often contain multiple stimulants to increase their effects.

Needing an artificial energy boost on a regular basis from energy drinks is a warning sign.  Take a look at the millions of workers in corporate America who simply cannot function without a cup of coffee in the morning.  It is an addiction that can and will take its toll on the body.  The chronic artificial stimulation caused by caffeine and energy drinks on the body, especially the adrenals, contributes to a general weakening of the system, thyroid imbalances, and the onset of adrenal and chronic fatigue.

Stimulant drinks are not healthy or natural, and they do not offer us any health benefits.  Quit the chemicalized energy drinks, and get high on life, not chemicals!

False Advertising & the Health Conscious

The false advertising of energy drink manufacturers lull many people into believing their drinks are healthy, but especially target the health and fitness, and weight loss industry.  Energy drink manufacturer's blaze all sorts of misleading words on their labels to give the illusion their products are healthy.  Ingredients are made to sound high-tech that are actually a concoction of artificially made chemicals that are foreign to the body.  The FDA does not define the term "energy drink" and manufacturers are left to their own devices to determine what that means and what ingredients they can use.  False claims such as "natural" and "lose weight" and "energize" and "improved performance and concentration" along with other catch-phrases shamelessly draw the public to their products.  

When taken before and during workouts, energy drinks can overstimulate the entire system causing internal stress.   A fit, healthy, vibrant body never need any artificial jolt to exercise or get through the day.

Sodas & Our Health

How exactly do sodas and energy drinks affect our health?  Let's take a look at some studies:

 


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