Most of us enjoy a can of Coca Cola or Ginger Ale from time to time. After all, what's not to like about soda? It's refreshing and delicious! There's a lot of information going around about whether or not soda can be part of a healthy diet, and Kidzworld is going to get to the bottom of it.
Looks good, doesn't it? Courtesy of scarsam.com
Is Soda Healthy?
- No one is more sorry to say this than me, but soda is not part of a healthy, balanced diet.
- Most sodas are packed with sugar. In fact, a can of soda can be hiding up to 10 teaspoons of sugar! The sugar does make soft drinks delicious, but definitely not nutritious.
- Too much sugar in a person's diet can lead to diabetes, heart disease, and dental problems.
- One of the biggest issues surrounding sugary soda is that over-consumption can lead to weight gain and even obesity.
Too much sugar can be dangerous to your health!Courtesy of epiceveryrep.com
What About Diet Soda?
- I know what you're thinking - there are diet options available for almost every kind of pop, which means that you don't have to drink all that sugar in order to enjoy a can of soda.
- Many studies have been done on whether or not aspartame, the sugar substitute in diet soda, is bad for you or not. To date, there are still conflicting opinions on this issue.
- The European Food Safety Authority recently concluded that aspartame is safe for most people, even in fairly large amounts (for example, if you drink more than one can of soda a day).
- Aspartame still might not be good for you, though. Studies have shown that people who drink diet sodas may actually gain more weight than those who drink regular soda, perhaps because, strangely enough, drinks loaded with fake sugar may actually make you want to eat more.
Watch out! Sugar-free sodas could have you reaching for that bag of chips to satisfy your cravings. Courtesy of aol.com
Alternative Drinks
- Maybe you've decided it's time to cut down on your soda consumption, but what should you drink instead?
- Water is absolutely the healthiest thing that you can drink. Your body needs water to stay hydrated and function properly, and water contains no calories or fat.
- Drinking fruit juice occasionally is not a bad thing, but you should be careful what juice and how much juice you're drinking. Fruit juices can contain almost as much sugar as pop!
There really is no healthier drink than plain old water. Courtesy of news.discovery.com
As with most things to do with your health, moderation is really at the base of any healthy diet. You can totally drink soda, even the sugary kind, just make sure you're not drinking too much!
Have Your Say!
What's your favorite kind of soda? Share with our Kidzworld readers!
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