Drinks, from fond childhood memories to the grim reaper of obesity today, have undergone a rapid transformation in just over a decade. When you can no longer freely indulge in beverages of all flavors, have you ever wondered about the myriad sins of sugary drinks? Let the experts explain the seven major harms of sugary drinks.
1. Promotes Cavities
Multiple surveys have shown a positive correlation between the intake of sweet drinks and the risk of cavities. To reduce the risk of cavities, people in Western countries often drink sweet beverages with straws, preventing the highly acidic drinks from directly contacting the teeth. However, even then, the risk of cavities remains significant. This could be because sugary drinks lead to a loss of calcium in the body, making teeth more fragile. In China, most consumers are not in the habit of using straws, so the acidic drinks directly contact the tooth enamel—the impact on our teeth is可想而知 (unimaginable)!
2. Causes Obesity
Currently, in China, a 500ml bottle of sweet drink contains an average of about 50 grams of sugar. Each gram of sugar provides 4 kilocalories of energy. Drinking two and a half such bottles would provide roughly the same amount of calories as a full meal for an adult woman! Research in the United States also shows that drinking one can of sugary soda per year can lead to a weight gain of about 7 kilograms. Yet, advertisements for sweet drinks are still ubiquitous worldwide. They use slogans like "Fruit plus Milk," "Supplement Vitamins," "The More You Drink, the More Beautiful You Become," and "Supplement Fruit Nutrients," attracting consumers with bright packaging, vibrant colors, rich aromas, and sweet and sour tastes.
3. Two Cans of Sweet Drinks a Day Increase Diabetes Risk by 50%
On one hand, drinking more sweet drinks significantly increases the risk of obesity, which is a major contributing factor to type 2 diabetes. At the same time, the sugars in sweet drinks are all monosaccharides and disaccharides dissolved in the liquid. These sugars are very easily digested and absorbed, causing a rapid spike in blood sugar. This effect on blood sugar is even worse than eating an equivalent weight of sugar cubes directly! Furthermore, there's another terrifying aspect: these sugars are in a dissolved state, hidden within the sweet drinks, invisible and intangible. This allows us to unknowingly consume them and damage our health! Nearly 60% of foods in Germany are high in sugar, leading to 51% of the population being overweight and 7.5 million people suffering from diabetes.
4. Increases the Risk of Kidney Stones
In most people's minds, since most kidney stones are calcium oxalate stones, they are thought to be more related to oxalic acid and calcium, and rarely to sweet drinks. In fact, the United States is a country with a high incidence of kidney stones, which is closely related to its citizens' high consumption of sweet drinks. In epidemiological studies on the relationship between sweet drinks and kidney stones, five studies have shown a significant correlation between sweet drink consumption and the risk of kidney stones and urinary tract stones. Researchers speculate that sweet drinks may reduce the intake of calcium and potassium while increasing the intake of sucrose, which could be a key factor in raising the risk of kidney stones.
5. Leads to Malnutrition
People who drink more sweet drinks typically consume less dietary fiber, starchy staples, and protein. This may be because the sweet drinks fill the stomach, reducing appetite during regular meals. For children and adolescents in their developmental stages, this is certainly not good news—it can lead to being overweight and malnourished. Other studies suggest that people who drink more sweet drinks are generally more likely to have insufficient intake of vitamins and minerals.
6. Promotes Osteoporosis and Fractures
The more sweet drinks a person consumes, the less dairy products they drink, and the lower their calcium intake. Similarly, studies funded by the food industry show only a minor negative relationship, or even a positive one, between sweet drinks and calcium intake. However, large-scale government-funded studies have shown a clear negative correlation between sweet drinks and calcium intake. Two studies have shown a significant link between sweet drinks and decreased bone density, and other studies suggest that high consumption of sweet drinks is associated with an increased risk of fractures.
7. Raises Blood Pressure
Graham MacGregor, chairman of the UK Blood Pressure Association, has issued a warning to people worldwide: excessive consumption of sweet drinks is "another nail in the coffin." Drinking more than 355ml of sweet juice or carbonated soda a day puts extra pressure on the blood vessels. For every additional can of sweet drink consumed, the diastolic pressure is 1.6 mmHg higher than normal, and the systolic pressure is 0.8 mmHg higher.