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More than 17 billion gallons of soda pop were sold in 2003. That works out to a least one 12 ounce can per day for every man, woman, and child in this country. The average American drinks an estimated 56 gallons of soft drinks each year, but before you grab that next can of soda, consider this: one can of soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar, 150 calories, 30 to 55 mg of caffeine, and is loaded with artificial food colors and sulphites This is an alarming amount of sugar, calories and harmful additives in a product that has absolutely no nutritional value. Plus, studies have linked soda to osteoporosis, obesity, tooth decay and heart disease. Despite all the scientific evidence, soda accounts for more than one-quarter of all drinks consumed in the United States.
. The National Soft Drink Association, in a carefully worded statement states, “there is no scientific evidence other that the consumption of sugar has any negative effect other than dental caries”. A federally funded study of nearly 3200 Americans 9 to 29 years old conducted between 1971 and 1974 showed a direct link between tooth decay and soft drinks. But sugar isn’t the only ingredient in soft drinks that causes tooth decay. The acids in soda pop are notorious for etching tooth enamel in ways that lead to cavities. The American Dental Association states “acid begins to dissolve tooth enamel in only 20 minutes. Battery acid has a ph of 1(very acidic); Coke and Pepsi have a ph of 2.5. a neutral ph 7 is the middle between acid and base. Coke and Pepsi also contain over 9 teaspoons of sugar in a 12 0z serving.
Let’s take a look at some of the major components of a can of soda:
• Phosphoric Acid: May interfere with the body's ability to use calcium, which can lead to osteoporosis or softening of the teeth and bones. Phosphoric acid also neutralizes the hydrochloric acid in your stomach, which can interfere with digestion, making it difficult to utilize nutrients.
• Sugar: Soft drink manufacturers are the largest single user of refined sugar in the United States. It is a proven fact that sugar increases insulin levels, which can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, premature aging and many more negative side effects. Most sodas include over 100 percent of the RDA of sugar.
• Aspartame: This chemical is used as a sugar substitute in diet soda. There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption including brain tumors, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders and epilispsy/seizures. Further, when aspartame is stored for long periods of time or kept in warm areas it changes to methanol, an alcohol that converts to formaldehyde and formic acid, which are known carcinogens.
• Caffeine: Caffeinated drinks cause jitters, insomnia, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, elevated blood cholesterol levels, vitamin and mineral depletion, breast lumps, birth defects, and perhaps some forms of cancer.
You may think that decreasing your sugar intake by consuming a diet drink will help prevent decay and help loose weight; but what you do not know about the contents of that diet drink is that it may have deadly consequences for your health. The major selling point of aspartame is as a diet aid, and it has been demonstrated that the use of this product actually causes people to consume more food. Normally, when significant quantities of carbohydrates are consumed, serotonin levels rise in the brain. This is manifested as a relaxed feeling, after a meal. When aspartame is ingested with carbohydrates, such as having a sandwich with a diet drink, aspartame causes the brain to cease production of serotonin, meaning that the feeling of having had enough never materializes. You then eat more foods, many containing aspartame, and the cycle continues. Monsanto’s profit from its NutraSweet Division was $993 million in 1990. The American Cancer Society confirmed that users of artificial sweeteners gained more weight than those who didn’t use the products, further undermining the supposed "purpose" for the existence of aspartame in the food.
Aspartame and saccharin have been the subject of ongoing controversy that, in the case of saccharin dates back more than 20 years. Questions still linger about whether or not saccharin may cause cancer in humans. The sweetener is widely used and currently carries a label warning of the potential health effects. Aspartame has come under similar scrutiny linking the sweetener to brain tumors and other serious disorders. The FDA continues to stand by it’s original approval and subsequent evaluations have shown the product to be safe in the eyes of the FDA.
Two researchers, Dr. Russel Blaylock, and Dr. H. J. Roberts have done extensive research and published books advocating removing this product from the food chain. Dr. Russel Blaylock, a neurosurgeon, has authored the book, “ Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills”. In his book he states that the ingredients of aspartame stimulate the neurons of the brain to such a degree, causing brain damage of varying degrees. Dr. H.J. Roberts, a diabetic specialist and a world expert on aspartame poisoning, has a book titled, “Defense Against Alzheimer’s Disease”. He also believes that aspartame will cause neurological damage.
Aspartame consists of three chemicals: 40% aspartic acid; 50% phenyalanine; and 10% methanol. Aspartic acid is a neurotransmitter in the brain. It facilitates the transmission of information from one nerve cell to another. Aspartic acid kills certain nerve cells by allowing too much calcium into the cell. Aspartame is labeled an excitotoxin because it excites or stimulates a nerve cell to death.
Phenyalanine is an amino acid normally found in the brain. Research has shown that ingesting aspartame, especially with carbohydrates, can lead to excessive blood levels of phenyalanine. In response to the elevated level of phenyalanine the body decreases the level of another neurotransmitter: seratonin. The reduction in the blood level of seratonin can lead to depression, manic depression, panic attacks, rage, and violence. Prozak is a drug frequently used in the treatment of depression, which prevents the uptake of seratonin by the nerve calls thus increasing the blood level of seratonin.
There is a genetic disorder, phenylketonuria(PKU), in which the body cannot metabolize phenyalanine, thus the intake of aspartame can result in serious injury and death.
Methanol, sometimes better know as wood alcohol, is a deadly poison. This is the poison that sometime will cause blindness and death in some alcoholics. When the temperature of aspartame exceeds 86 degrees Fahrenheit, methanol converts to formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is grouped in the same class of drugs such as cyanide and arsenic. Formaldehyde is then metabolized into formic acid, which is the acid found in the bite of fire ants. Methanol toxicity can mimic multiple sclerosis symptoms.
Drinking soda is one of the worst things you can possibly do to your health. We all need about one quart of pure clean water for every 50 pounds of body weight.
Dr. Kevin Flood
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