News Taffy

Today’s topic is one I have covered before and has frequently been in the media, yet it apparently has not been heard by everyone: Sodas are BAD for you. Recently my husband came home from a clinic day, saddened that one of his younger patients drank several Sprites each day because he thought they were better for him than other sodas. In order to have optimal health, you must stay informed on current scientific based advice such as good nutrition, exercise, and other good health practices. To ignore your well being is to place your health at risk as we bring on many of our problems by smoking, eating the wrong foods or leading a sedentary life.

So let me repeat: Sodas are BAD for you. Sodas have NO nutritional value but often contain ingredients that are NOT good for you such as dye and excessive amounts of sugar. Soda, cola, pop, soft drink, all refer to sweetened carbonated beverages. Even though diet sodas have no calories, they are still aren’t considered a healthy drink and certainly aren’t effective in preventing weight gain as the sweet taste prompts your body to crave more sugar. There are much better choices for a healthy beverage. Clear or light colored sodas like Sprite, Sierra Mist and Mountain Dew are just as bad as dark sodas, which seems to be a common misperception.

Let’s look at a few facts. The average 12 oz. can of cola has 150 calories, while a 20 oz. bottle has 240. If you gave up drinking just one can of soda per day and changed nothing else, you could lose 15 pounds in one year.

Mountain Dew contains the most sugar of the nationally recognized brands with 15 teaspoons of sugar in a 20 oz. bottle. Measure out 15 teaspoons. Would you eat 15 teaspoons of sugar from a bowl? You shouldn’t drink it either. Nutrition labels report sugar in grams. One teaspoon of granulated sugar equals 4 grams so if a drink like Fanta or Sprite contains 44 grams of sugar, that equals 11 teaspoons of sugar. That gives you a better idea of exactly how much sugar you are consuming. The American Heart Association recommends that men consume no more than 38 grams or 9 teaspoons per day and women 25 grams or 6 teaspoons. You can easily see that one soda puts you well over the limit. When you consider how much soda and other sweetened foods many people eat each day, it’s no wonder Americans struggle with their weight, diabetes and heart disease.

My husband feels all doctors should ask their patients how many sodas they drink as getting off sodas could significantly improve their health. Many of his patients, even those with uncontrolled diabetes, confess to drinking 6 or more sodas a day. Giving up sodas may not be easy but your health is more important.

Learn to read nutrition labels. It will help you to make better food choices overall if you understand exactly what you are eating.