Negative Effects of Soda
...uticals. In the steel industry, it is used to clean and rustproof the product Ø Natural Flavors Ø Caffeine: Medically, caffeine is useful as a cardiac stimulant and also as a mild diuretic (it increases urine production). Recreationally, it is used to provide a "boost of energy" or a feeling of heightened alertness. It's often used to stay awake longer - college students and drivers use it to stay awake late into the night. Many people feel as though they "cannot function" in the morning without a cup of coffee to provide caffeine and the boost it gives them. Dr. Kimberly A. Loos, clinical instructor at University of Pacific School of Dentistry and an editor for Dentistry On-Line, states that teeth do dissolve in cola or soda pop. This is due to a number of factors. Soda usually contains acetic and/or ascorbic acid (vitamin C). This makes cola acidic. Acid begins to dissolve teeth in about 20 minutes. If the tooth is soaking in cola, the roots usually dissolve first because they lack enamel, which covers the crown of the tooth to protect it from decay. As you know, even enamel will decay over time to cause a cavity. Based on studies undertaken by Consumers International, a London-based organization, cola drinks cause tooth decay, obesity and hypertension. ''Caffeine is an addictive drug whose potency is increased when it is consumed cold, which explains why millions of people around the world 'can't live without' drinking two or three colas a day,'' the association affirms. Caffeine acts as a stimulant, and ''can cause tachycardia (abnormally fast heartbeat), insomnia, headache, gastric ulcer and anxiety,'' while extracts from the cola nut ''stimulate the digestive and nervous systems,'' it says. In addition, it claims that dyes like E-150, which give colas their characteristic dark brown color, ''have been linked to vitamin B-6 deficiency, hyperactivity and low blood glucose levels.'' Carbonated gas, which gives cola its crisp texture and flavor and cuts its sweetness, ''is a source of psychological addiction,'' the activist says. Caffeine, in addition to ''creating an addiction'', affects blood pressure, speeds up the heartbeat and provokes cerebral stimulation, doctors say. The combination of refined sugar and fructose with phosphorous acid alters the balance of calcium and phosphorous, eventually even blocking iron absorption into the body. At the same time, ''excessive consumption of phosphoric acid impedes calcium absorption.'' This posed a ''terrible threat to the bone development, especially of children and teenagers. In a report in The Lancet, a British medical journal, a team of Harvard researchers presented the first evidence linking soft drink consumption to childhood obesity. They found that 12-yea...