Article Surfing Archive

The facts:

' Sodas with added sugars act as a diuretic, flushing water and minerals from the body. These drinks actually make one thirstier.

' Carbonated beverages contain excessive amounts of phosphorous. This interferes with calcium uptake in the body, greatly exacerbating the effects of osteoporosis in middle-aged woman. The same effects are true for men; the only difference being a 10-15 year lag before becoming obvious.

' The amount of caffeine in regular soda is 45 mg. per 12 oz. Children who drink six cans per day are exposed to more caffeine than adults drinking two cups of strong coffee per day, while weighing half as much.

' Soft drinks cause weight gain due to the 'cephalic phase response' ' a reflex established when the brain reacts to sweet tastes and is tricked into sending false messages to the liver. When sugars (artificial or natural) stimulate the tongue, the brain programs the liver to prepare for the acceptance of new energy. The liver in turn, stops manufacturing glucose from the protein and starch reserves and instead begins to store the metabolic fuels that are circulating in the blood. When the sugar that was promised by the taste buds is nowhere to be found, the brain and liver panic ' instructing the person to eat more.

' The carbonation in soft drinks ' when ingested in conjunction with food - bloats the system, disrupts the release of stomach acids (interfering with digestion), and halts the absorption of minerals.

' Sodas with added sugar have been implicated in ADD, adult onset diabetes, and a litany of other health problems.

' Caffeine and aspartame (the primary sweetener in the majority of diet soft drinks) are Excitotoxins, chemicals that excite brain cells till they die. They are very similar to MSG in their deleterious effect on the nervous system.

' A new study found that significant correlation between carbonated beverage consumption and esophageal andenocacinoma decades later. In the past 25 years, the number of cases of this cancer has risen by 570% among Caucasian men in the U.S. ' the group that consume the most soft drinks.

Healthy Alternatives

Biologically, we drink liquids for two reasons: to flush the system of impurities; to minimize the amount of food we eat. Consider the following to quench your thirst:

Water. The ultimate thirst quencher. However, not all forms are safe. The EPA (environmental protection agency) says our drinking water is safe. They analyze 30 elements in our water to determine purity. Dozens of highly regarded independent scientific studies show that the levels of substances the government says are safe, are not. While testing for thirty elements sounds very impressive, there are over three hundred elements comprising our water. Tap water is not healthy; it is dangerous, filled with heavy metals. Only distilled water goes through the heating and purification needed to insure safety. Artisan spring water, well water, etc., do not go through these steps and are not fit to drink.

Green Tea. Because our diet consisting primarily of processed foods, we do not ingest nearly enough anti-oxidants. Further, some foods and drinks, because of their make-up, require the body to draw on its stores of anti-oxidants to process them. Soft drinks fall into this category. There is one liquid that will not only satisfy our thirst, but also add to the body's stores of anti-oxidants: Green Tea. It contains polyphenols (a powerful class of antioxidants). By weight, polyphenols comprise about 30% of the green tea leaf. One recent study compared polyphenols with the standard of antioxidants, vitamin E. The green tea extract was shown to pack 200 times the antioxidant punch of vitamin E. Drink up. But drink the right liquids for all the right reasons.

Tid-Bit: Diet That Can Save Your Vision

Macular degeneration affects up to 25% of people age 75 and older and is the leading cause of blindness in those over age 55. In a recent study including 260 patients over a ten-year period, elderly people who had early signs of macular degeneration risked faster vision loss if their diets were high in specific types of fat, including trans fats in processed baking goods. Diets high in saturated fat from red meat and dairy products also increased risk but not as much. Those whose diets were high in omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish and nuts, had the lowest risk.