Water much better alternative
It’s lunchtime, and you’ve just gotten your chicken fingers and curly fries. You go to grab something to drink, but with all the calories already sitting on your plate, you don’t want to add any more. So instead of grabbing your usual Coke, you figure a Diet Coke would be a better alternative; there’s no sugar or calories in it, so it can’t be as bad for you, right?
Wrong. Sure, diet sodas have a lower sugar and calorie count, but in order to rid the drink of these, companies substitute in more detrimental ingredients, such as artificial sweeteners, mold inhibitors and sodium and phosphoric acid. Overconsumption of diet sodas can lead to a plethora of problems, some of which a person would think diet soda would prevent. For example, diet sodas disrupt metabolism and can lead to obesity because of the artificial sweeteners that throw off the body’s ability to regulate caloric intake. Also included in the faux sodas are mold inhibitors, which can damage cells, and BPA, which is linked to heart disease, obesity and reproductive issues. Not to mention that the acidity levels in diet soda — at a pH of 3.2 — can dissolve tooth enamel and cause your teeth to rot. Most disturbingly, there is a 48 percent increase in heart attack and stroke risk among avid diet soda drinkers.
These problems are particularly concerning in adolescents, whose bodies are still growing and are more vulnerable to the chemicals being put into their bodies. Teens and even children are becoming increasingly concerned with their body image and weight, and diet sodas seem like the perfect way to avoid sugar and calorie counting. Beginning the detrimental habit of drinking diet soda early only increases their chance of succumbing to these health problems.
I’m not advocating that regular soda is healthy in the slightest. Regular soda can lead to high blood pressure and a higher risk of COPD. Water is a much better substitute for any kind of soft drink.
Water keeps you hydrated, whereas soda dehydrates you and therefore prompts you to drink even more. It gives you more energy, whereas soft drinks give you a short burst of energy, followed by a sudden, sharp crash. Also, if we’re talking stictly calories, water contains no calories. So if you’re looking to cut down on the sugar and calories, water is the way to go. However, if you absolutely must have your daily fix of soda, it is better to take the sugar and calories over the biohazards that swirl around in diet sodas.