Whether you’re a former soda addict or not, you’re probably already aware of its bad effects on your health. Loaded with added sugars, caramel coloring, and other additives, there’s a lot more to the syrupy-sweet soft drink than what’s listed on their nutrition and ingredients labels. So what exactly are you drinking? We list the top 30 most disturbing facts about soda. Then, check out The Best & Worst Sodas in America—Ranked!
If you’re planning on having kids anytime soon, it would be prudent to put down the soda for a while, says a 2018 study published in the journal Epidemiology. Researchers surveyed nearly 5,000 couples and found that just drinking one or more sugar-sweetened drinks (like soda) every day, by either the man or the woman, led to a lower chance of getting pregnant.
Avoiding a stroke is a goal most of us can get behind to quit soda for good. A study published in the journal Stroke—which studied 2,888 people over a 10-year-span and monitored them for stroke and dementia—reported that those who had at least one diet soda a day increased their chance of either ailment by three times.
Clogged blood vessels may be another reason to avoid soda, as a 2015 study from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that subjects consuming drinks with low, medium, and high amounts of high-fructose corn syrup for just two weeks had increased levels of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, and triglycerides circulating through their bloodstream. This shows a direct link between added sugars in beverages and the risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease.
When you’re stressed and tired, you tend to reach for sugary, high-fat foods, which is why many people go for a glass of the bubbly drink. According to research in The Journal of Endocrinology & Metabolism, drinking sugar-laden beverages, such as soda, can help relieve stress by blunting cortisol, the stress hormone. Because of the emotional response that sugar gives you, it leads you to consume even more of the sweet stuff.
