Overview

Soda is a sugary drink that’s loaded with simple carbohydrates and artificial sweeteners. When consumed in excess, the added sugar can lead to determinantal effects on your body.

The adverse effects discussed in this article also apply to other sugary drinks, such as fruit juices.

In this article, we will cover the most important negative effects of drinking soda.

 
How can soda hurt your body?

Precipitates fatty liver

Sucrose, or table sugar, consists of two simple sugar molecules:

Glucose

Fructose

The first can be metabolized by all your body’s cells. The second one, however, requires the cellular machinery of the liver. Therefore, any excess amount of fructose needs the full engagement of hepatocytes.

Unfortunately, drinking soda and other sugary drinks is the fastest way to load up in fructose, which overwhelms the liver. Over time, hepatocytes will convert fructose to fatty acids – some of which will be released in the bloodstream, whereas the remaining quantity sticks to the liver.

The accumulation of fatty acids in the liver leads to a condition known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

May lead to insulin resistance

As you may know, insulin is the hormone responsible for getting glucose into your cells.

Drinking soda repeatedly can insensitive your cells to the action of insulin. As a result, your body needs to produce larger amounts of this hormone to achieve the same purpose.

Doctors refer to this condition as insulin resistance. Unfortunately, insulin resistance will eventually develop into type 2 diabetes.

Increases the risk of heart disease

Researchers repeatedly found a connection between high sugar intake and the risk of heart disease.

Excess consumption of added sugars will affect cardiovascular risk factors, including high serum triglycerides, hyperglycemia, and elevated levels of LDL.

One interesting study found that men who drink 1 sugary drink per day had a 20% higher risk of dying from a heart attack. The study lasted for 20 years and included 40,000 subjects.

Contains no healthy nutrients

Drinking soda means you are getting no essential nutrients. Moreover, soda makes you feel satiated, which means you are less likely to consume other foods that contain a real value.

Even worse, the added sugars will harm every organ system and predispose you to obesity because of the high calories.

Unfortunately, some people get misled into buying artificial juices because of the deceiving labels (e.g., all-natural, extracted from fresh fruits). 

In simple words, if you want a healthy beverage, make it yourself at home without adding any chemical substances.

Takeaway message

Drinking soda in excess amounts is a very damaging habit that we need to stop. Focusing on whole foods and natural beverages is the best alternative.

We hope that this article helped you appreciate the adverse effects of drinking soda. Keep in mind that the more you drink, the higher your risk of disease.

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