Here’s why you should give up soda for good

Soda is definitely something you want to give up. Here are some reasons why.

When drank in excess, soda can have some horrifying effects on your health. Some sources of sugar are better than others, but soda truly has no nutritional value whatsoever. It’s not good for your teeth, skin or insides. With summer approaching I know a lot of people will be attending a lot of barbeques and cookouts where there will be a cooler full of soda and other sugary drinks, so it will be hard to resist. But instead of reaching for Mountain Dew, go for a Poland Spring. Here’s why you should avoid soda like the plague.

Sugary drinks are not filling and lead to weight gain: Added sugar is highly fattening and liquid sugar is even worse. This type of sugar supplies large amounts of fructose, which does not lower the hunger hormone ghrelin in the same way as glucose, the main carbohydrate found in starchy foods.

Sugar drastically increases belly fat accumulation: If you want to have a tummy, keep drinking soda. Sugar consumption causes you to store more body fat. Fructose, in particular, appears to dramatically increase the dangerous fat around the belly and organs. This is known as visceral fat a.k.a. belly fat.

Sugar-sweetened beverages may be the leading dietary cause of type 2 diabetes: In other words, if you don’t want diabetes, put that Pepsi down. Type 2 diabetes is a very common disease, affecting about 300 million people worldwide. It is defined as elevated blood sugars in the context of insulin resistance or a deficiency in insulin. Being that sugary drinks can lead to insulin resistance, it is not shocking to see that numerous studies link heavy soda drinking with type 2 diabetes.

The sugar and acids in soda are a disaster for dental health: It’s a well-known fact that soda wreaks havoc on your teeth. Soda contains acids like phosphoric acid and carbonic acid. These acids create a highly acidic environment in the mouth, which makes the teeth vulnerable to decay. More simply put, every time you sip that Coca-Cola you are rotting your teeth out.

Soda can become addictive like drugs: I know this sounds outlandish, but it’s the truth. Soda can be like cocaine. When we eat sugar, dopamine is released in the brain, giving us a feeling of pleasure. The human brain is programmed to seek out things that give us dopamine. This is the same way that cocaine works. Numerous studies suggest that sugar, and processed junk foods, in general, can be highly addicting. Trust me you don’t want to be addicted to something that is bad for you as soda. So do yourself a favor and give it up for good!