Harmful Side Effects of Soft Drinks on a Human Body

What makes soft drinks so addictive is the sugar content in them that releases dopamine in the brain, making one feel good. Because of these, people generally neglect the side effects of soft drinks.

Here is a detailed discourse on the harmful effects of soft drinks on human body to spread awareness! Keep reading.

Soft drinks are not suitable for the human body because the sugar content in soft drinks is very high. They do not benefit the body; instead, they harm it in several ways. This is the reason soft drinks are often referred to as empty calories. Side effects of soft drinks on the human body include weight gain, cardiovascular conditions, and diabetes.

Following is a detailed discussion on each of these effects.

The harmful effects of soft drinks on the human body include –

• Weight gain – Soft drinks and sodas are loaded with sugar, making you gain weight faster. A can of soft drink may contain up to 10 teaspoons of sugar. These sweetened beverages might suppress hunger pangs for a while but eventually, make you eat more.
• Fatty liver – Glucose and fructose are the two primary compounds present in refined sugar. Our body cells can easily metabolise glucose, but only the liver can metabolise fructose. Therefore, excess consumption of soft drinks can lead to fructose overload. Due to this, the liver converts this fructose into fat which gets accumulated on the liver. This can lead to severe fatty liver disease in no time.
• Diabetes – Excessive intake of fructose can lead to insulin resistance and cause Type 2 diabetes.  
• Tooth decay – One of the side effects of soft drinks include tooth decay. Phosphoric acid and carbonic acid in sodas erode tooth enamel in the long run. When combined with sugar, these acids make a perfect environment for bacteria to thrive in the mouth, eventually causing cavities.

Consuming soft drinks for an extended period has severe effects such as –

• Higher risk of cancer – People who drink two or more soft drinks per week are nearly twice at risk of suffering from pancreatic cancer. Postmenopausal women who consume a lot of soft drinks have a higher risk of developing endometrial cancer.
• Greater risk of gout – Inflammation or pain in the joints, especially big toes, is known as gout. This medical condition occurs when a high amount of uric acid crystallises in the blood. Fructose, present in soft drinks, is the main carbohydrate to increase blood uric acid levels.
• Leptin resistance – Leptin is a hormone produced by the fat cells of your body. It changes in case of starvation as well as obesity. A large amount of fructose intake can cause leptin resistance, thus increasing the chances of fat gain.
• Higher risk of dementia – People, who drink soft drinks regularly, are more likely to have a poor memory, smaller hippocampus and a significantly smaller overall brain volume.

Sweetened beverages or soft drinks might be good for the taste buds but have many harmful effects on the human body. Therefore, those addicted to these drinks should consider the above-mentioned harmful effects of soft drinks on the human body. They can turn to a healthier lifestyle to avoid severe consequences in time.