12 February 2013

Fizzy Drinks

Fizzy Drinks are very popular with children and teenagers, however with so many different types widely available on the market it can be easy to forget the serious health concerns related to fizzy drinks.

So what is actually in fizzy drinks?
Leading brands (especially Cola drinks) often contain the following...


SUGAR
  • Not only can refined sugars increase hyperactivity in children it can also bring extreme highs and lows of emotions, behaviour and blood sugar levels. This can affect children's concentration in school and can lead to the development of diseases such as diabetes.
  • Sugar can affect the gums and teeth of growing children.
  • Excess sugar can produce acidic blood in the body which leads the body to search for minerals from the bones in order to balance the blood to keep the body functioning normally.
  • See a previous post on this blog 'A Spoonful Of Sugar' for more details about the side effects of consuming refined sugar.

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
  • Do not be fooled by the 'zero' sugar label of products on the market - always read the label as artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame (E951) and Sorbitol (E420) are just as harmful.
  • They are artificially produced and difficult for the body to deal with.
  • They have been linked with MS, muscle spasms, weight gain, cancer risk, lowered immune system etc.

PHOSPHORIC ACID
  • Phosphoric acid is a corrosive chemical and it is widely used in Cola drinks.
  • Excess consumption of fizzy drinks containing this can lead to pains, digestive problems, blurred vision, difficulties in swallowing and breathing, increased risks of cancer etc.
  • Ever wondered why people sometimes use Cola drinks to unblock drain pipes? Is this really the best quality drink we can give our children when there bodies and digestive systems are growing into maturity?
  • This also effects teeth and bones just like excess sugar can, affecting the enamel on teeth and creating an acidic blood where the body needs to find minerals from the bones in order to be able to continue functioning normally.

You will probably be pleased to know that there are plenty of healthy, delicious Cola (and other popular flavoured fizzy drinks) alternatives from health food shops and some large supermarkets which are naturally sweetened with agave syrup or corn syrup, without artificial sweeteners or added refined sugars and most importantly no phosphoric acid.

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