Soft Drinks, The Silent Killers
...esently at about twelve ounces. Children in America are drinking more soda with a “Happy Meal” than an adult in the 1950’s would have with a whole meal. Within the article it also states that 25 years ago, teens drank twice as much milk as pop, opposed to teens now drinking twice as much as milk. Over the years it seems acceptable to drink a soda at every meal and often between meals even though measurable health risks are taking place each time you drink a soda. I believe the increased availability contributes to the growing problem associated with excess soda consumption. For me to fully understand the risks involved with my love for soda I must evaluate the harmful effects of my favorite soda pop, Mountain Dew. Within the article “Mountain Dew Users May Go On To Use Harder Beverages” (Posted at the web site www.theonion.com ), reports say the surgeon general issued a warning that Mountain Dew is an addictive, caffeinated soft drink that is widely popular with the youth of America. Regular used of the product may lead to the use of harder beverages such as Surge, Jolt, and even espresso. Dr. Audra Hurst of the UCLA Medical Center classified Mountain Dew as a “gateway beverage” that servers as a barrier between safe drinks such as orange juice and milk and dangerous substances like black tea and “Water Joe,” the street name for a powerful strain of enhanced caffeinated water. My taste for Mountain Dew according to Dr. Hurst and the surgeon general could lead me into a caffeine addiction I may suffer from the rest of my life. I had no idea the “Do the Dew” could some day be summed up as “The Dew hooked you.” Since Mountain Dew is legal and is so wide spread people associate its use as being safe and harmless, however clinical studies link its consumption to cases of rapid heartbeat, insomnia, diuresis, anxiety, hyperactivity, and the inability to concentrate. Even though the warnings are widespread about the use of Mountain Dew, Dew users usually dismiss the research that finds the soda to be a “gateway drink.” Through my research about the harmful effects of my “passion in a green can,” I realize each time I pop the top on a Dew I greatly increase my risk for addiction and health problems. What are the health problems associated with drinking soda and soft drinks? I often pondered whether drinking soda, as part of my everyday life was a healthy choice. I soon learned form the article “Hard Facts About Soda,” (Found at www.Herbalicious.com) that cola contains “caramel coloring” to give it an appealing brown tint. It has been linked to genetic defects and researchers suspect it may also cause cancer. Soda often has an ingredient called polyethylene glycol. Glycol is also used in automobile antifreeze, and as an oil solvent. So is that sweet taste worth ingesting ingredients found in your local Auto Zone? I guess to the automobile enthusiast it might be sort of a trill, but to the mothers of small children they see this as a threat. Also within this article it discusses it potential Osteoporosis by high levels of phosphoric acid and carbon dioxide. Phosphorous in the acid displaces the body’s calcium-phosphorous ratio and eats the calcium out of the bones and teeth. The phosphoric acid is also responsible for the burning sensation you feel in your throat and stomach when you swallow a gulp of soda. The fizz and bubbles could potentially burn your insides. Phosphorus also reacts with the hydrochloric acid in your stomach leaving it weekend or ineffective. This is why bloating and indigestion result sometimes after consumption. Thus, soda is a major cause of heartburn, when consumed with a meal. Obesity, it affects 61% of all Americ...