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Danger of Sugary Drinks
When browsing the beverage aisle on your next trip to the local supermarket, you owe it to your health to ask yourself an important question: Should you be stocking up on carbonated drinks and soft drink? Did you know that soft drinks are also known as empty calories? Empty calories refer to foods that contain no nutritional value. Soft drinks are also loaded with sugar and bad carbs. Besides being detrimental to your overall health, they can also damage your teeth.
Some soft drinks contain as much as 20 teaspoons of sugar in a 600ml can – one teaspoon is equivalent to 4.762 grams. Just imagine spooning 20 teaspoons of sugar into a drink and handing it to your child. You may be shocked by how much sugar you are drinking. And that’s just the amount of sugar in one can of soft drink! The worst part is that such drinks are typically served alongside a high-calorie meal at your favourite fast food restaurant. The results are pretty dire as you can expect. Let’s look at the problems that arise from a “soft drink culture”.
Obesity
In Australia, 63 per cent of adults and 1 in 4 children, are said to be obese or overweight. These numbers will continue to rise if the soft drink culture is not curbed.
Fructose in sugar is the main culprit for a protruding belly. It stores body fat around the waistline and other organs in the form of visceral fat. Consistently high amounts of visceral fat – that can result in metabolic diseases – are found in people who drink high-fructose soft drinks and carbonated beverages.
Diabetes
The intake of high fructose beverages has also been found to increase the risk of developing adult-onset diabetes. According to a research study by Harvard University, people who drink 1-2 cans of soft drink per day are 26% more likely to develop type-2 diabetes.
Heart Disease and Cancer
Drinking soft drink has also been linked to higher risks of medical conditions like high triglyceride levels and high cholesterol readings, both of which have been thought to increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Studies also show that people who consume soft drink had an 89% risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
Dental Health
Due to the high concentrations of both sugar and acid, drinking soft drink can also damage your teeth. Frequent intakes of both sugar and acid can lead to a greater incidence of dental caries and erosion of the surface of your teeth. Unfortunately, it doesn’t help switching to diet and sugar free alternatives either, as even though diet soft drinks have a reduced sugar content, they are still highly acidic and can erode your tooth enamel. The phosphoric acid in soft drink breaks down the calcium in the enamel of your teeth, reducing the hard outer protective layer, which increases your risk of tooth wear, tooth decay and tooth sensitivity.
Looking for a trusted dentist to help you achieve a beautiful and healthy smile? Contact one of our nib dental care centres today or visit our website nibdental.com.au