Sugary soft drinks like Coca-Cola have long been shown to increase the risk of diseases such as obesity and diabetes.
But now experts warn that popular soft drinks could also be wreaking havoc on the digestive system, causing gastrointestinal upset, fractures and even permanent organ damage.
Even diet sodas, despite being sugar-free, could lead to excessive cravings for other sweets, which can lead to weight gain and diseases such as diabetes.
And artificial sweeteners like aspartame in diet sodas can cause stomach upset such as diarrhea and constipation.
Experts have warned that drinking soft drinks every day can increase the risk of fractures, liver damage and gastrointestinal upset (file image)
Coca-Cola and several soft drinks from brands such as Dr Pepper contain phosphoric acid, a colorless additive intended to acidify foods and prevent the growth of bacteria and mold, since bacteria can multiply quickly in sugary drinks.
This also gives sugary drinks their sour taste and fizzy texture.
Phosphoric acid comes from phosphorus, a natural mineral in the body responsible for the growth, maintenance and repair of tissues and cells.
While we need phosphorus for these functions, consuming too much of it has been shown to deplete the body of calcium, an essential nutrient for bone and muscle health.
Without calcium, you are more likely to develop diseases such as osteoporosis, which causes bones to become so brittle that they break.
For example, one observational study in the journal Nutrients found that people who drank soda every day doubled their risk of fractures compared to those who didn’t drink soda.
Soft drinks have also been shown to irritate the stomach lining due to their high carbonation.
Nancy Mitchell, a nurse and collaborator at the Assisted Living Center, said Eat well: “For those with gastritis, ulcers, acid reflux, and the like, carbonic acid can aggravate symptoms and cause discomfort, especially if they already experience chronic inflammation.”
Sugary soft drinks have also been shown to lower HDL (‘good’) cholesterol and increase triglycerides, a type of fat in the bloodstream that comes from foods like butter, oils, and other fats.
TO study 2020 in the Journal of the American Heart Association, for example, found that adults who frequently drank soda had a 98 percent greater risk of low HDL levels and a 53 percent greater chance of developing high triglycerides.
America’s 25 Sweetest Drinks RANKED: Mountain Dew had the most sugar of any drink on the list, while Brisk Lemon Tea had the least. However, all of the drinks were well above or near the recommended daily limit for sugar set by the American Heart Association.
César Sauza, registered dietitian nutritionist at HealthCanal, said Eat well: ‘If the sugar in the soft drink is not used for physical activity, the liver will convert the sugar into (triglycerides).
“If the sugar in soda is not used for physical activity, the liver will convert the sugar into fat.”
In terms of liver damage, one study found that women who drank one or more sugary soft drinks per day were 85 percent more likely to be diagnosed with liver cancer in that time compared to those who consumed less than one per week. .
Daily soda drinkers were also 68 percent more likely to die from liver disease than those who drank three or fewer per month.
However, the researchers noted that the overall risk of death was still very low: only about 150 deaths from the disease in the trial.
There was no correlation between liver disease and sugar-free drinks like Diet Coke.
However, diet sodas can have their own side effects.
In 2022, researchers from Tel Aviv and Johns Hopkins University found that participants who consumed the artificial sweeteners aspartame and stevia, found in diet drinks such as Diet Coke, could suffer glucose-galactose malabsorption, a condition that makes it difficult for the intestine to absorb sugars.
This can cause severe diarrhea, dehydration, and weight loss.