Carbonated beverages, also known as soda, are a type of beverage that is filled with carbon dioxide gas under certain conditions. The main ingredients of these beverages include carbonated water, acidic substances such as citric acid, white sugar, spices, and some also contain caffeine, artificial colors, etc. The carbon dioxide gas in carbonated beverages will form carbon dioxide in the human body, thereby taking away the heat in the body and playing a role in cooling down.
The classification of carbonated beverages can be different according to their taste and ingredients. Common ones include juice type, fruit flavor type, cola type, low-calorie type, and other types. Juice-flavored carbonated beverages refer to carbonated beverages with an original juice content of not less than 2.5%; fruit-flavored carbonated beverages refer to carbonated beverages with fruit-flavored edible flavors as the main flavoring agent and an original juice content of less than 2.5%; cola-flavored carbonated beverages refer to carbonated beverages with caramel color, cola flavors, or spicy and fruity mixed flavors similar to cola nuts and fruit flavors; low-calorie carbonated beverages refer to various carbonated beverages and soda waters that use sweeteners to replace sugars in whole or in part; other types of carbonated beverages refer to carbonated beverages other than the above three types, such as milk protein carbonated beverages, ice cream soda, etc.
However, it should be noted that although carbonated beverages have a refreshing taste, long-term and large-scale drinking may have adverse effects on human health, such as osteoporosis, digestion problems, and tooth damage. Therefore, while enjoying the refreshing taste brought by carbonated beverages, you should also pay attention to drinking in moderation and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
1. Quenching thirst: In the short term, carbonated beverages can indeed provide an immediate sense of thirst quenching, because the carbonic acid components in them produce bubbles in the mouth, bringing a refreshing feeling.
2. Provide energy: Since carbonated drinks often contain sugar, they can quickly provide energy to the body. But this is not its unique health advantage, because energy can also be obtained from other healthier foods.
3. Sterilization and antibacterial
Evaporation cooling: The carbon dioxide in carbonated drinks can take away body heat during evaporation, lower the local temperature, and thus inhibit the growth of bacteria. This physical cooling effect helps create an environment that is not conducive to bacterial reproduction.
Change pH value: Carbon dioxide dissolves in water to form carbonic acid, which makes the beverage present an acidic environment. This acidic environment can change the pH value of the bacterial growth environment, making it unfavorable for the survival of many bacteria, thereby achieving the effect of sterilization and antibacterial.
4. Cooling: The bubbling feeling and cool taste of carbonated drinks can give people a refreshing feeling. After the carbon dioxide in carbonated drinks enters the stomach, the dissolved carbon dioxide will absorb heat and turn into gas due to the increase in temperature. In this process, the decomposition of carbonic acid will absorb heat in the stomach, resulting in a short-term cooling feeling. As carbon dioxide expands in the stomach, people will take away the heat in the stomach in the form of burping. This physiological reaction further promotes the dissipation of heat in the body and enhances the cooling effect.
Drinking carbonated drinks may have many disadvantages for the body, which are mainly reflected in the following aspects:
1. Obesity and metabolic problems
High sugar content: Sugar content in sugary carbonated drinks is often high. Long-term and large-scale drinking will lead to excessive sugar intake, which is easy to form subcutaneous fat, thereby increasing the risk of obesity. In addition, excessive sugar intake may also increase the risk of diabetes and hyperlipidemia.
2. Impact on bone health
Affect calcium absorption: Carbonated drinks contain high phosphates. Long-term excessive drinking will lead to excessive phosphorus intake, which will affect the body's absorption of calcium and may lead to calcium deficiency. Calcium deficiency not only affects bone development, but also may lead to osteoporosis, especially for children and the elderly. This effect is more obvious. Researchers also found that compared with people who do not drink carbonated drinks excessively, people who drink carbonated drinks excessively have a fracture risk that increases by about 3 times; and when physical activity is intense, drinking carbonated drinks excessively may also increase the risk of fracture by 5 times.
3. Damage to dental health
Erosion of teeth: Acidic substances in carbonated drinks, such as phosphoric acid and carbonic acid, react with tooth enamel, causing tooth mineral crystals to be dissolved. Long-term consumption of carbonated drinks can easily lead to problems such as tooth sensitivity and tooth decay, and may even cause oral problems such as periodontitis and tartar. More than 90% of teenagers have corroded the protective outer layer of tooth enamel due to drinking carbonated drinks. The teeth of patients with tooth erosion are fragile and thin. If you drink a lot of carbonated drinks, the possibility of tooth erosion will increase to 5 times. Drinking milk and water, on the contrary, can reduce the risk of tooth erosion. Carbonated drinks have a corrosive effect on teeth.
4. Digestive system problems
Gastrointestinal dysfunction: Carbonated drinks contain a large amount of carbon dioxide gas, which can easily cause indigestion symptoms such as bloating and stomach pain after drinking. In addition, carbonated drinks may also inhibit the beneficial bacteria in the human body, thereby affecting intestinal health.
5. Unbalanced nutrition
Strong satiety: Carbon dioxide gas in carbonated drinks can easily produce a sense of fullness, causing people to reduce their intake of other foods. Long-term use may lead to malnutrition because carbonated drinks do not provide the various nutrients needed by the body.
6. Increase the burden on the kidneys
Increased metabolic burden: The sugar in carbonated drinks will produce a large amount of purine substrates during metabolism, stimulating uric acid secretion, thereby increasing the burden on the kidneys. In addition, increased calcium content in urine may also increase the risk of kidney stones.
7. Damage to cells
A British study showed that carbonated drinks may cause serious damage to human cells. Experts believe that a common preservative in carbonated drinks can damage some important areas of human DNA, seriously threatening human health.
8. Sleep disorders
A new study led by the University of Queensland in Australia found that adolescents who frequently consume carbonated drinks and fast food are more likely to have sleep disorders. "Carbonated drinks often contain caffeine, and fast food is often high in calories but lacks nutrition. If these foods are consumed too frequently, the chance of sleep disorders will also increase." said Asad Khan, a researcher and associate professor at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences of the University of Queensland. The study found that adolescents who drink more than 3 cups of carbonated drinks a day are 55% more likely to have sleep disorders than their peers who only drink one cup a day.
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People often think that phosphate is the culprit that affects calcium absorption and causes osteoporosis. Such negative news can only be proven by scientific evidence:
In 1994, the National Institutes of Health organized a meeting entitled "Optimal Intake of Calcium" for experts in osteoporosis and bone health. The independent report of the experts stated: "No substantial effect of phosphate on calcium absorption or loss has been found."
In 1997, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States reviewed the scientific data on phosphate and found that phosphate does not have any negative effect on calcium absorption.
In 2004, the U.S. Surgeon General's report on bone health and osteoporosis once again analyzed scientific data. The report believes that under normal circumstances, the effect of phosphate on calcium absorption is minimal.
According to the recommendations of the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, the average daily phosphate intake of the human body should be 1000 mg.
There have been rumors online that low-calorie sweeteners like aspartame can cause cancer and pose a threat to human health.
A trial of more than 1,000 adults showed that people who consumed low-calorie, sugar-free foods and beverages had a better diet. They consumed fewer calories, got more vitamins and minerals, and ate healthier.
As a representative of low-calorie sweeteners, aspartame has undergone more than 200 scientific trials and has been proven to be a very safe low-calorie sweetener. This sweetener has also been used for more than 20 years and is approved for use in more than 100 countries around the world.
Any product containing fermentable carbohydrates (sugar and some starches) may cause tooth decay. This naturally includes soda, but the formation of tooth decay is affected by several different factors, including the role of saliva, oral bacteria, fermentable carbohydrates, and the length of time that teeth are exposed to fermentable carbohydrates. Each factor plays an important role in the process of tooth decay.
Among them, time is a very important factor in the occurrence of tooth decay. The shorter the time that oral bacteria are in contact with fermentable carbohydrates, the less likely the bacteria are to produce acid. Frequent consumption of foods containing fermentable carbohydrates and foods that stay in the mouth for a long time, such as chewy or sticky foods, is a major cause of tooth decay. Soda leaves the mouth immediately after entering it, and there is no time to react with bacteria, so the probability of tooth decay is very small.
In addition, people usually think that the high acid content of soda will damage teeth, but people ignore the power of saliva. Saliva can dilute the acid and reduce the impact on tooth enamel. Saliva also contains calcium, phosphorus and fluoride, which can replenish the mineral loss of enamel. Fluoride can also help teeth resist the corrosion of acids in food or drinks.
Many women use carbonated drinks as a stumbling block on the road to weight loss, but in fact carbonated drinks or any food or drink are not the main cause of overweight or obesity. According to the American Diabetes Association, all foods and drinks have their own role in a balanced diet structure as long as the long-term calorie intake does not exceed the calorie consumption.
Carbonated drinks can help people relieve thirst and meet the body's water needs, but they are not the only drinks. In addition to providing basic water, carbonated drinks can also provide carbohydrates to supply the energy needed for daily activities.
When studying the dietary structure of obese people, scientists did not find any food or drink to be the root cause of obesity. Some studies have shown that weight gain is related to sugar or soft drinks, but there are also many tests that prove that there is no relationship between the two. For overweight people, the calories consumed from food and drinks should be reduced as much as possible, and physical exercise should be included in the daily food therapy. In fact, if people want to get a fit body, physical exercise is essential, and reducing diet alone will never achieve the desired effect.
So it is still the right way to maintain a slim figure by consuming excess energy through exercise.
