Tag: obesity

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Like endless rain into a paper cup

As you probably know, we had a very hot summer this year in Portland. During one heat wave, temperatures reached 107 on some days and didn’t get below 75 at night. Round about that time I found myself thirsty quite a lot. It was hot and our air conditioning infrastructure is lacking so I thought it was because of the heat that I was drinking so much water. Around about the same time I also started urinating much more often than I had ever before. Again, I chalked it up to the heat and increased water intake but I still noted a couple of events that were unusual. First, one night I woke up having to urinate which is something that almost never happens to me, especially if I go to the bathroom before I get in bed. Soon it was happening to me every night but I still didn’t put it together.

I also felt incredibly tired most of the time. The last few hours of work each day were very difficult and I would often end up in the comfy chair a few feet from my office, watching MSNBC’s political block. The fatigue had arrived rather gradually and I didn’t really notice it until our Family Camp with Troop 820 in June. When walking long distances there was difficult in terms of muscle fatigue, I chalked it up to the altitude and the weight I had recently gained. It got worse and worse all summer but even these were not clue enough for me.
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Soda is evil

CNN reports that soda pop is the main reason Americans are so obese. Also, high fructose corn syrup is bad.

Whether you drink diet or regular, soda is bad for your health. It contains no nutrients and is essentially empty calories. Drinking too much soda is linked to several health conditions. Regardless of the type,  here are 10 reasons soda is bad for your health:

  1. Weight gain: It’s not surprising that soda is linked to weight gain. The high sugar content makes it one of the worst beverages you can drink. Analysis of studies published in thirty peer-reviewed journals over 40 years indicated that drinking soda is a key contributor to the increase in obesity in the United States and have other problems like damaging organs and others parts including the skin although for this supplements from sites as healthyusa could really help with this.
  2. Damages the Teeth: Drinking soda damages the teeth due to its acid level and high sugar content. The sugar increases the risk of cavities. The various acids in soda cause tooth erosion. Tooth erosion involves the decrease in dental tissues including dentine and enamel. In one study, bovine teeth were extracted, and enamel was measured. The teeth were placed in 200 ml of various sugary drinks including different types of soda for one week. The teeth exposed to citrus sodas had significant loss of dental hard tissue. (2)
  3. Increases Cancer Risk: Certain types of soda, such as cola, contain caramel coloring. Caramel coloring is made with ammonium compounds. During the manufacturing process, sugars, ammonium compounds, and sulfites form 4-methylimidazole and 2-methylimidazole. In studies, both chemicals were shown to induce cancer growth in animals including liver and lung cancer. (3)
  4. Side Effects of Caffeine: Many varieties of soda contain caffeine. Caffeine can lead to problems, such as trouble sleeping, jitteriness, and anxiety. Caffeine can also be addictive, which means kicking the habit can be difficult.
  5. Accelerates Bone Loss: The phosphate acid in soda is thought to interfere with the absorption of calcium, which can lead to a loss of bone mineral density. In a study involving 1,413 women and 1,125 men, their bone density was measured at their spine and three sites on the hip using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. The participant’s dietary intake was also assessed using a questionnaire. The study indicated that cola intake was associated with a significant decrease in bone mineral density in women. (4)
  6. Risk of Fatty Liver Disease: Soda is often sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, which has several negative health consequences including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Fatty liver disease is a significant risk factor for developing cirrhosis of the liver and heart disease. In both animal and human studies, high-fructose corn syrup had a triglyceride raising effect, which contributed to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In one study involving 341 people with fatty liver disease, results indicated that consuming high-fructose corn syrup daily increased liver inflammation. (5)
  7. Dangers of Artificial Sweeteners: Most types of diet soda contain some type of artificial sweetener. Sweeteners, such as sucralose (Splenda), saccharin, and aspartame, are associated with several health problems, including lupus, glucose intolerance, and multiple sclerosis. (6) Aspartame, also known as NutraSweet and Equal, is associated with increased incidence of brain tumors, mood disorders, declining mental function, migraines and seizures.
  8. Increased Risk of Diabetes: Drinking soda also increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The Nurses’ Health Study researched the link between soda consumption and type 2 diabetes. The study involved over 90,000 women who were followed for eight years. Participants in the study that reported drinking one or more servings of sugar-sweetened soft drinks developed diabetes twice as often during the study than those who rarely drink soda. (7)
  9. Benzene: Benzene is a possible cancer causing substance that is found in small levels in some types of soda. It has been linked to leukemia. (8) Benzene levels in bottled water are monitored and regulated. But levels in soda are only monitored informally, which means the exact levels may not be known. Benzene forms due to the presence of benzoate salts, which are used as a preservative, and ascorbic acid, which is in certain carbonated soft drinks.
  10. Increased the Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Drinking sugary soda may increase a woman’s risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. One study followed over 180,000 women who completed a food-frequency questionnaire at the start of the study and every four years as part of the follow-up. The study indicated that women who drank one or more servings of sugary soda daily had a 63 percent increase in developing seropositive rheumatoid arthritis when compared to women who rarely drank soda. (9)

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