Do You Have Gas
Ideally, you are drinking your 6 – 8 glasses of water a day. If not, what are you drinking? Is it soda pop or other carbonated beverages? If so, check out some of the latest research on soda and try to limit yourself to no more than 1 soda a day and replace the rest with water.
Soft Drinks Linked to Health Risks
A huge U.S. study of middle-aged adults has found that drinking more than one soft drink a day even a sugar-free diet brand may be associated with an elevated risk for metabolic syndrome, a cluster of factors that significantly boosts the chance of having a heart attack or stroke and developing diabetes.
“We found that one or more sodas per day increases your risk of new-onset metabolic syndrome by about 45 per cent, and it did not seem to matter if it was regular or diet,” Dr. Ramachandran Vasan, senior investigator for the Framingham Heart Study.
Metabolic syndrome is associated with five specific health indicators: excess abdominal fat; high blood sugar; high triglycerides; low levels of the good cholesterol HDL; and elevated blood pressure. The researchers found that compared to those who drank less than one can per day, subjects who downed one or more soft drinks daily had a:
- 31 per cent greater risk of becoming obese (with a body mass index of 30 or more).
- 30 per cent increased risk of adding on belly fat.
- 25 per cent higher risk of developing high blood triglycerides or high blood sugar. 3
- 2 per cent higher risk of having low HDL levels
Source: Circulation, Journal of the American Heart Association, Monday July 23rd. The Canadian Press.
Bubbles May Mean Bad Teeth
Yellow stains aside, brewed coffee or tea may not be the worst thing you could swish past your pearly whites. Other drinks tested in a recent study produced much more wear and tear on tooth enamel, especially bubbly soft drinks. But here’s the surprise: It didn’t matter if the sodas were diet or not.
Erosion explosion – when your tooth enamel starts to erode, you’ve got major problems on your hands. And certain foods like sweets and sodas may hasten this process. All carbonated drinks in a recent study had some
impact on tooth enamel (with the one possible exception being root beer – its impact on tooth enamel was slight). Citrus-flavored sodas hit teeth hardest, but colas caused problems, too. And it didn’t matter if the drinks were diet or full-sugar.
It’s the acids – contrary to what you might think, it’s not only the sugars in bubbly beverages that erode tooth enamel. It’s also the acids. The total acid content and acid type — look for names like phosphoric, citric, malic, and tartaric — in a beverage affect how strong the attack is on your choppers. Rinsing after sipping a soda may hasten the acids out of your mouth.
Source: www.real-age.com
Tags: American Heart Association, Bad Teeth, Blood Triglycerides, Body Mass Index, Carbonated Beverages, Cholesterol Hdl, Circulation Journal Of The American Heart Association, Framingham Heart Study, Free Diet, Good Cholesterol, Health Indicators, High Blood Sugar, Low Hdl Levels, Metabolic Syndrome, Pearly Whites, Soda Pop, Sodas, Soft Drinks, Specific Health, Tooth Enamel
